Bohemian Rhapsody
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: While Sam and Lucy discover romance and mystery in Europe, Selina and Elijah deal with a resurrected Mikael and Vince and Roxie decide to expand their family. Sequel to stories in The Lady in Red series and the Dark Angel series
1. Making Plans

Disclaimer: Only story and original characters belong to me!

_Elijah put his hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly, but a sound caught his attention and he pulled his hand away quickly, turning. "Are you going out again?" Selina asked. "You promised me we'd stay in tonight."_

_He nodded. "I know I did. But there was a triple murder not far from here. Father thinks it's the work of vampires and that a bunch of them might have a house or something nearby as a base. He says that if we don't kill them now, they could cause more trouble and then people might get suspicious and come after us with stakes. Do you want that?"_

_"Well, no," Selina said. "But why are you two so worried? Stakes won't kill you."_

_Elijah walked over and put a hand underneath her chin. "But they would kill _you_," He said. "And I don't think I could live with myself if you were killed."_

_Selina frowned, her eyes becoming cold. "But what would the difference be between that and what we have now, really? Your father drags you out every night and I only see you in the morning and that's if I'm lucky. We haven't even spent any time alone since he arrived. I mean, it's fine for me because think of all the years I went without any physical connection between Aleksandr and Nicky. I can deal with that, but I'm no so sure about you. Shouldn't you be feeling a little...restless by now?"_

_Elijah sighed. "I admit there are times when I get overcome by urges. But then I remember that there are things on this earth more important than my own physical satisfaction. Saving innocent lives, for one." He eyed her thoughtfully. "Maybe Father was right when he suggested I give my life to the cause of killing troublesome vampires. The sense of satisfaction I get from that is much greater than anything else."_

_"But what about _me_?" Selina asked. "While you're out being celibate and saving lives, what am _I_ supposed to do?"_

_He patted her on the head. "I'm sure you'll think of something," he said. "I have to go now. Father is waiting for me."_

Elijah sat up in bed and gasped. The clock on the bedside table read three a.m., and Selina was sleeping soundly beside him, but he had to wake her. He turned the light on and she stirred. "What?" She asked sleepily. "Honey, what's the matter?"

"I had a bad dream," he said.

Slowly she sat up, rubbing her eyes. "You had a bad dream?" She repeated, rubbing his back. "I'm so sorry. You want to talk about it?"

He nodded and took her in his arms. "Are you upset with me?" He asked. "I know you and I haven't really been together ever since my father arrived, but-"

"It's okay," Selina said. "I know why. He hates me and doesn't want you near me so he comes up with all those late night vampire hunts so either I'll be asleep or you'll be too tired by the time you get back. It's okay. We'll just have to try a little harder." Her eyes twinkled. "How about you stay home today and we play a game? You be you and I'll be me as Lonely Heart and if you catch me, you can run me through." She winked. "After all, isn't that what your father wants?"

Elijah smirked. "I'm sure that's not exactly what he has in mind, but I'll look forward to it. It's either that or have another horrifying dream where I tell you I've decided to surrender my life to the hunting of evil vampires and become celibate."

"Seriously?" Selina asked. "No wonder you looked so freaked out!" She ran her fingers over his bare chest. "No, we can't have you having dreams like that. You were right to wake me up." She sat up and he ran a hand down her arm. "These are really nice," he said, running his hand down the arm of her rose-colored pajamas. "How come I've never seen these?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Well, I don't usually end up wearing clothes to bed, do I? At least not by morning."

"That's true," he said, "That's true."

She yawned and snuggled against him. "So the plan is that you don't go out with your father tomorrow, right? You stay in here with me!"

Elijah nodded. "That's the plan," he said. And they both closed their eyes and fell asleep again.

* * *

The next morning, they woke up to the phone ringing. "That's probably my father," Elijah said, reaching for it. Selina put a hand on his arm. "Remember the plan today? You're staying her with _me_."

"Right," Elijah said, taking his hand away from the phone. "I almost forgot. I'm ashamed of myself."

"Should we drop Gregory off somewhere?" Selina asked. "That might be a good idea."

Elijah nodded. "I'll go do that and be back quickly."

"My god," Selina said as the phone kept ringing. "He just doesn't give up, does he?"

"No," Elijah said with a grin. "He's very persistent."

"He wants someone to answer the phone, fine," Selina muttered under her breath. "Someone will answer the phone."

"Don't do anything foolish," Elijah warned. "Please, I'm begging you."

"I'm not gonna do anything bad," Selina said. "What could I _possibly_ do to make him hate me more than he already does?" She picked up the phone. "Hello, Sir," she said. "How are you? Yes, Elijah's here. But I wanted to let you know that he won't be coming with you to hunt bad people because he and I are gonna stay in and have sex, all right? Buh-bye now." She turned off the phone and Elijah's eyes widened. "Why did you tell him that?"

"It's the truth," Selina said. "What else was I supposed to tell him?"

"I don't know!" Elijah said. "Just not that!"

The phone rang again and this time Elijah picked it up. "Hello, Father," he said.

"Elijah!" Mikael barked, "Why are you letting the murdering whore near your phone? And is what she said true? There is a time for fun and a time to be serious and up until now, you've had your fun."

"Yes, Father," Elijah said quietly. "I understand. I'll be ready in a little while. Goodbye."

"What the hell was that?" Selina asked incredulously. "What about our plan?" She paused, a grin spreading over her face. "Oh, I get it. You're lying to him to get him off our backs. Good idea. Now you go drop Gregory off at your mother's and be back here as fast as you can be."

Elijah looked heavenward and groaned. This wasn't going to end well for him.

But nonetheless, he took Gregory to his mother's and when he got back, his father still hadn't shown up yet. Good. He went to his room and was starting to change clothes for when his father eventually _did_ show up, when he heard the bathroom door close with a bang. He looked up. Selina was wearing a short blonde wig and a spangly dress. "Hey, there, stranger," she said. "I've been a very bad girl. Don't you think I need to be punished?" She strode toward him, confident and smug, then pulled her to him, kissing him deeply. When she pulled away, he whispered, "What have you done?"

"That dead couple over on Winter Street? That was me. And on Walnut, and Oak and Astoria Avenue. Eight people dead, all because of me."

"Well, you better run then," he said. "Because if I catch you, you're dead."

She grinned and sped out of the room. When she was gone, he picked up a small piece of violet paper that had fallen on the floor. _Hiding where the knives are. You'll never catch me!_

Grinning, he ran to the kitchen, but she was nowhere in sight. He found another note that led him to the attic, then the basement, the bathroom, the garage, and finally, of all places, the laundry room. He opened the laundry room door and she grinned. "So you found me," she said. "But you have to admit I gave a good chase." He pulled out a knife he'd gotten in the kitchen. "Yes," he nodded, his eyes on her, cold and serious. "But now is the time for you to pay for what you've done." He advanced toward her and backed her against the laundry room wall. Then he dropped the knife and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. They began moaning and pulling at each other's clothes until they were both undressed, then, as he drove into her, she let out a shriek. "No, no, don't!" She cried when he pulled out of her, preparing to enter her again. She let out a growl and managed to get herself on top of him. "You don't _really_ want to hurt me, do you?" She asked, stroking him. "I tell you what. If you don't kill me, I'll do what_ever_ you want."

He moaned contentedly for awhile and then they were at it again. They were so loud that they didn't hear Mikael come in. He followed the noise to the laundry room and when he opened the door, it was Elijah who let out a yell and tried to shield Selina from his father.

Mikael's lip quirked. "Well, I could be angry with you for lying to me about going out today, but I suppose every young man must have his fun."

Elijah nodded. "That's what I've been needing, I think," he said.

"Well, are you finished?" He asked. He looked at Selina. "Why don't you get dressed, my son will pay you what he owes and then we'll be on our way."

"I'm not a prostitute," Selina said. "I'm his _wife_."

"You're a murdering whore," Mikael said shortly. "And Elijah has better things to do than waste his time with you. You should consider yourself lucky you're even still alive!"

"Father, please!" Elijah said. "Don't talk to her that way!"

"And why not?" Mikael asked. "Who is she, really?"

"I'm the woman who got the best of you," Selina said. She dressed and then advanced on him. "You've caught every person you've gone after over the years except me. And you were so obsessed with catching me that it blinded you to the person who was really a problem. If I told you that Nicky has the person who committed the murders in Paris in '29 that you _thought_ were committed by me tied up in his house and just ready to be killed, would you be willing to give me a bit of a break?"

"What?" Mikael asked.

"That couple who were found dead by the Eiffel Tower in '29? That was a copycat killing by her so-called 'friend' Olivia," Elijah said. "I'd pretty much gotten her over anything that was making her angry by then."

Mikael looked at Elijah in surprise. "You mean you and she were a couple even then? You've betrayed me a lot longer than I thought!"

"We were _not_ a couple back then," Selina corrected. "We were just really close friends." She sighed. "Look, I'm really not that bad," she said. "I was just going through a bit of a rough patch."

"Some rough patch," Mikael said. "You take the lives of innocent people and now you're treating it as if it were some kind of joke? Killing innocent people isn't funny."

Selina nodded. "I know it's not. And it's not the person I am, anymore. Now I have kids and cook things and sew things...everything I hated back then. Were you paying attention at all to the reason Elijah woke you up again?"

"Well, actually," Mikael said, "I just assumed it had something to do with you."

Selina shook her head. "It doesn't. It has to do with Gregory, our son. Elijah's and mine."

Now Mikael's eyes widened and he looked at Elijah. "Is she telling the truth?" He asked. "Did this woman bear you a son to carry on our family name?"

Elijah nodded. "She did. His name is Gregory. And I'm a bit worried about him. As you know, I've made enemies over the years that wouldn't hesitate to use him for their benefit. Either my enemies or enemies of the family, who want us to forgive their wrongs against us. I thought perhaps you wouldn't mind helping to guard your grandson. That's why I took the dagger out of you."

The three of them stood in silence, and then Selina said, "Yeah, you two talk amongst yourselves. It's not really my place to be part of the discussion. I'm gonna go run some errands now. Goodbye."

* * *

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Roxie asked Vince, who gave her the same grin over his coffee cup that he'd given her ever since they'd gotten married.

He put his cup down. "We're married now," he said.

She nodded. "I know that. I was there. What of it?"

"Well, you know what people usually do after they get married."

Roxie nodded. "Yeah, have sex! And we've been doing that a lot! Not that that's new for us, but-"

"You do know that sex has a purpose, right?" Vince asked. "It's not supposed to be just for fun."

Roxie looked irritated. "Yeah, I know it has a purpose. But thanks to the fact that you had to die in order to become a hybrid, we don't have to worry about that purpose, now do we? I would think that after the first scare and what Dad did to you, you'd want to stay clear of that purpose at all costs."

"Well, now that we're older and married, things are different," Vince said. "Isn't there a small part of you that's curious about it?"

"About what?" Roxie asked. "Having a baby? Not really. They're all just more trouble than they're worth."

"Even if we have a little girl who's as pretty as you?" Vince asked. "You'd really be doing the world a favor."

Roxie sighed. "Fine. If you can find a way to get me pregnant, we'll give it a shot, but I reserve the right to throw a party if nothing happens. And since you want it so bad, you're gonna be the one to take care of it."

Vince frowned. "It's a baby, not a puppy."

Roxie shrugged. "What's the difference?"

Vince gave her a look. "What do you mean 'what's the difference'? There is a _big_ difference and I shouldn't have to actually explain that to you."

Roxie smirked. "You can't think of anything, can you?"

"Well, if I'm having trouble thinking of differences at the moment, let's list similarities between babies and puppies: They're cute and a lot of work, but in the end it's worth it because they love you unconditionally."

Roxie smirked. "Yeah, right. I didn't like my mom, she didn't like _her_ mom, you see the pattern here?"

"It doesn't have to be that way," Vince said. "And I don't think it will be. I think our kid will love you so much you're not gonna know what to do."

Roxie eyed him skeptically. "I don't know," she said.

"Think of it this way," Vince told her, light in his eyes. "There are only a few people on this planet who truly, love you and two of those people are you and me. This baby is going to be a mix of us, so it will have no choice but to like you."

"Okay," Roxie said. "I'll trust you, but I still think you're wrong."

Vince stood up. "All right," he said. "I'll go to Enid's and see what she can do for us."

* * *

"Are you and Roxie seriously considering having a _baby_?" Enid asked, her eyes wide. "Does _she know_ you're doing this? Because a baby left at the mercy of an unprepared Roxie will not last long."

"We talked about it," Vince said. "She was a little reluctant at first, but I finally talked her into it. I think it will be good for her, having someone else besides me around who will love her unconditionally. And I'm prepared for all the emotional upheaval and stuff."

"When Selina was pregnant with Adrian, she tried to kill herself, just so you know," Enid said.

Vince looked over at his uncle Pete, who had the morning bar shift that day. "Is that true, Uncle Pete?"

Pete nodded. "The whole apartment upstairs was on fire and her friend Astrid got stabbed stopping her from running herself through."

"Gosh," Vince said. "How pregnant was Selina at that point? Was she almost done?"

"No," Enid said. "That was right when she first found out, two or three months in. She was freaked out because she thought the baby wouldn't like her and she'd be a horrible mother."

Vince swallowed nervously.

"Having second thoughts?" Pete asked knowingly.

Vince straightened up. "No," he said, his voice resolute. "I will deal with whatever comes along." He looked at Enid. "So how does this work?"

"I just have to make up a potion," Enid said. She went into the back room and came out several minutes later. "Drink this," she said, handing him the liquid. "This will do it."

Vince drank it, but almost spit it out. After it was empty, he said, "I better be going."

"Good luck!" Enid called after him.

Pete just rolled his eyes. "I hope he knows what he's getting into."

* * *

Selina drove up to Damon's house, knowing that she'd probably cringe when she saw how he'd been handling Lucy going away. She parked the car in the street and waited ten minutes for him to come answer the door. Finally, she jimmied the lock and went inside. "Oh, my god," she breathed. There were wrappers and napkins and all sorts of trash covering the living room floor. The dishes looked like they hadn't been washed for a week and when she found Damon, that was how he looked too. He was lying on the sofa, surrounded by empty beer bottles.

"Please don't tell me you're doing this to yourself," she said. "Not again." He took a drink of beer and burped. "Why not?" He asked. "Lucy's gone."

"It's been a week and a half," she said shortly. "You should have adjusted by now. We're not gonna have a repeat of the thirties all over again. We're not. I refuse to let you." She found a letter on the table. "This is from Lucy, I think," she said, looking at the envelope. "She probably wants to know how you're coming along. Do you really want to tell her that you've become a drunken slob?"

"Lucy didn't even write that," Damon said. "She's too busy. Mimi's gonna write letters for her. And last night, I tried to go out, you know? Lucy told me I could cause she knows I'm not a monk. I tried. I was _this_ close. She was a busty cocktail waitress with long legs and big eyes and just as we were about to...you know, I couldn't. Cause she wasn't Lucy!"

"Stop!" Selina said. "If you're gonna start crying, I'm going back home where my father in law is. And he thinks I'm a murdering whore. What does_ that _tell you?"

Damon gave her a weak smile and sat up. "It tells me...well, I don't know what it tells me."

"It should tell you that there are people in this world who have more misfortune in their lives than you, so you should consider yourself lucky." She paused. "Now get your ass off that sofa and let's clean this place up."

"I'm impressed, Mother," said a voice. "I've been trying to get him off the sofa for days, but he refused to move."

Selina turned to face Joshua. "Why are you here? You should be watching your brother! I can't believe he decided to go off to Europe all by himself."

"Lucy did," Joshua pointed out.

"She did not," Selina said. "She had Mimi with her. I can't imagine what trouble Sam is going to get himself into."

"I _have_ been watching him," Joshua told her. "And in fact, he's been very successful. He and his group have a record deal and a name."

"They_ do_?" Selina asked. "What is it?"

Joshua held out a letter. "I'll let him tell you," he said.

Selina took it. "Sammy wrote me a letter? That is so nice! I would have thought he hated me!"

"_You_ aren't the one he hates," Joshua said, eying his father sourly.

Selina tore the letter open and read it:

_"Dear Mom,_

_I bet you're surprised I'm writing you this letter. I know that the last time we spoke, I said some things that weren't so nice and I want to apologize for them. I was angry and I spoke without thinking. You've always done the best you could for me and if what Lucy told me about you wanting to take me to live with you when we were babies is true, then I don't blame you for how I've turned out._

_I've decided to follow Lucy to Europe, although not for the same reasons, obviously. I'm in London with the band and we got ourselves a deal at a small label. We've also decided to call ourselves Lost Innocence. Since you've always been a fan of mine, when the first album comes out, I'll send you a copy if you promise to brag about me to everyone you know._

_I also promise that I've been eating right and not drinking (much), and that there are no groupies wandering around carrying my baby. There'll be plenty of time for all that later._

_Just kidding!_

_I love you,_

_Sammy_

_P.S. Lucy says hi._

Wow!" Selina read over the letter several more times. "It's amazing what a change of scenery can do for a person." She looked at Damon. "Aren't you proud of Sam?"

"How can I be proud of him if he won't tell me what's going on in his life?" Damon grumbled as he began picking trash up off the living room floor and throwing it away.

Selina sighed. "Just give him time," she said. "This thing with you and Lucy is something that is going to take getting used to for all of us. Now, how about I finish cleaning up in here and you go clean yourself off?"

Damon nodded. "Oh, all right." He plodded off to the bathroom, leaving Joshua and Selina alone. "Are things really as good as they seem with Sam?" Selina asked him. "Or is he keeping something from me?"

"At this point, things are good," Joshua told her. "I haven't _seen_ anything that would be problematic, anyway. But doubtlessly, things will crop up in the future. We'll just have to be ready for all that when it happens."


	2. Taking A Chance

"So, what is it that you want to do today?" Damon asked Lenora half-heartedly.

"Mommy says I have to clean my room," Lenora said. "But can't we do something else instead?"

"Maybe later," Damon told her. "If your mother told you to clean your room, we should probably start by doing that."

Lenora's face fell. "I don't see the point of cleaning my room!" She said. "I'm just gonna make it messy again."

"Well, maybe if you'd put things where they're supposed to go after you finish using them, you wouldn't have to clean your room as often," Damon told her. "Did you ever think of that?"

"I did," Lenora nodded. "But it's easier to throw stuff on the floor." She opened her bedroom door and Damon's jaw dropped. Clothing was draped over every surface, Lenora's bed wasn't made, and toys were out of the toy chest and all over the floor, except for a very narrow clean pathway from the bed to the bedroom door.

"No wonder your mother said you needed to clean," Damon said. "It's a real mess in here." He stood in silence for a moment and let out a breath. "All right then. Let's start cleaning!"

"Just a minute!" Lenora said. "I have an even better idea! Promise you won't touch anything?"

"What are you going to do?" Damon asked, his tone guarded. "What's your idea?"

"It's a good one," Lenora insisted. "I saw it in a movie once." She ran out of the room and came back clutching a broom. "I can make this broom do all the cleaning, like Micky Mouse did!"

Damon's eyes widened. "You mean like in _Fantasia_? Lenora, honey, I don't know if you paid much attention to that movie, but things didn't end well for Mickey. He got in big trouble!"

"Well that's only because Mickey didn't know how to use his powers yet," Lenora said simply.

"And you do?" Damon asked. "Did your mommy tell you you could do magic by yourself?"

"I'm not by myself," Lenora said. "You're here. Everything will be a-ok."

Damon sat down heavily on the bed. "My god," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "This will not end well."

Lenora just giggled at him, put the broom against the bedroom wall and muttered some stuff under her breath. Sure enough, the broom sprouted arms and began picking up clothes and throwing them in the hamper. Pretty soon, the floor was clear enough that they could actually walk around without tripping over things.

Once the bedroom was clean, Lenora tried to get the broom to stop, but it wouldn't listen to her and began walking around to clean other parts of the house. Several dishes and pots were broken in the broom's relentless pursuit of cleanliness, and finally Damon said to Lenora, "Are you sure you're saying the right thing to make it stop?"

Lenora shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. I forget sometimes."

Damon shut his eyes and said through his teeth, "This is exactly why your mother doesn't want you doing magic either by yourself or with someone who has no idea how to help you with it, like me."

"Well, what are we gonna _do_?" Lenora asked him. "We have to make the broom stop!"

Damon looked around the kitchen and finally found some matches in a drawer, just as the broom was turning on the kitchen faucet. As the water ran over the sink and onto the wooden floor, he managed to get a match lit and throw it onto the broom, which burned. Unfortunately, so did a dish towel and some plants and a set of floor length curtains. Soon, the entire kitchen was ablaze.

"Get some water!" Lenora cried. "Get some water!"

"Can't you put the fire out?" Damon yelled.

Lenora muttered some under her breath, but all that got soaked were her and Damon. Damon spit some water out and said, "Well at least you tried," then pulled out the fire extinguisher from under the sink and sprayed it in all directions until the kitchen was nothing but white foam and charred fabric.

Lenora looked around sadly. "I think we made a mess," she said. "Mommy won't be happy."

"But look on the bright side," Damon said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "At least we got your room clean."

* * *

"Lucy?" Lucy paused at her pottery wheel and looked at Mimi. "What is it?" She asked. "Did you bring the mail? Anything from him-I mean, home?"

"Are you at a point where you can take a break?" Mimi asked.

"Sure," Lucy said, staring forlornly at the lump of clay she was attempting to transform into a pot. "Damn it, I just cannot get anywhere with this!"

"Why are you doing pottery?" Mimi asked. "It's not exactly what you're used to doing. Why not just continue with painting?"

"Because the only classes that Lucia has available now are ones that involve painting naked people and I don't think Damon would appreciate me doing that, even if it was for artistic purposes only."

Mimi looked over at the half -finished portrait of a nearly naked Damon that sat by Lucy's bed. "And it doesn't look like you need help with that anyway," she said. "And that's the reason why I came in here. He sent you a letter. I wonder why he didn't just email you?" She shrugged. "Maybe he thought a letter would be more romantic."

Lucy opened the letter eagerly.

_"Hey, there, Cookie Monster!_

_How's Europe? Seeing a lot of fun sights? I hope you are. I've been having a lot of fun too. Or if not fun, then excitement. Lenora brought a broom to life when I made her clean her room the other day, just like in Fantasia. I've missed you a lot, I admit. Your mother came to check up on me after a week and was a bit ashamed of what she saw, but don't worry. I'm better now. You may not be here with me, but at least I see you in my dreams at night. That's something. And just so you know, I'm thinking of coming to visit you for my birthday. It's five months away, though. I just wanted to give you a lot of time to think about what to get me for a present. Just kidding. I think you know what I want for a present._

_Anyway, I just wanted to write and see how you were doing and tell you that I missed you. Do you miss me? I hope so!_

_Love,_

_Damon"_

Lucy looked up at Mimi. "Isn't that sweet?" She asked. "And I'm glad I'm gonna get to see him, even if I _do_ have to wait five months."

Mimi smiled. "I'm sure you'll find some way to occupy yourself until then."

Lucy sighed, picked up a piece of clay and threw it against the wall, where it hit and made a wet slapping noise.

"Why don't you get out of here for awhile?" Mimi suggested. "You and I could go look around the city, see what there is for you to paint."

"All right," Lucy sighed. "I don't know what else to do."

She followed Mimi out the door and they walked around until they ended up near the opera house, where a young man flagged Mimi down.

"Pierre!" Mimi ran toward the young man and embraced him. He was very pale and almost skeletal-looking, with dark hair plastered to his head and deep set dark eyes. "How have you been? You haven't been eating very well, I see."

"I've tried," the young man said. "I've tried. But the work, it takes so much out of me, all I have time to do is sing, sleep and sing some more." He gave Lucy an interested look. "And who is this?"

"This is Lucy," Mimi told him. "She's one of my artists back home and she's here doing work under Lucia."

Pierre leaned over Lucy's hand and kissed it. "If you're working for Lucia, you must be very good. She's very temperamental and exacting."

"A little," Lucy agreed when she took her hand back.

"So what sort of work do you do?" Pierre asked her. "Sculpture? Painting? Photography?"

"I'm most comfortable painting," Lucy said. "I'm working on several things right now. Why?"

"Just because I'm curious," Pierre said. "And Monsieur Matthieu has been saying for ages that he'd like a mural put up on one of the walls of the main theatre, but he has yet to find someone talented enough to accept his vision. Perhaps you would be interested, Mademoiselle Lucy?"

Lucy looked at Mimi out of the corner of her eye. Mimi nodded encouragingly and pushed Lucy forward just a little bit. "That seems like something I could do," Lucy said at last. "Although I'd have to check with Lucia first, of course."

Pierre nodded. "Of course. I will tell Monsieur Matthieu that you will see him soon." He gave both women a bow and headed back into the opera house.

"He's something, isn't he?" Mimi said quietly. "He's Monsieur Matthieu's star singer. A _big_ prima donna, that one."

"How do you know him?" Lucy asked. "I thought you only dealt with visual artists."

"Now I do," Mimi said. "And Pierre is the reason why. Painters are so much easier to deal with than singers."

"Do you think he was serious about me painting the mural for the opera house?" Lucy asked. "He hasn't even seen any of my work."

"Of course he was serious!" Mimi said. "And if he knows you've caught Lucia's eye, he doesn't _need_ to see your work. He already assumes you're good. Lucia's name has that effect on people."

"Speaking of Lucia," Lucy said. "We better go talk to her. Who knows how she'll take it."

* * *

"You've been asked to do _what_?" Lucia Fiori surveyed Lucy and Mimi over her desk.

"I've been asked to do a mural at the opera house," Lucy said to her. "Are you upset? I'll try and make sure that it doesn't take away from all the work I'm doing for your gallery."

A grin broke out on Lucia's face and for the first time in Lucy's memory, her dark eyes had light in them. "Oh, never mind about what you're doing now," Lucia said. "All your other projects can wait. It will mean more in the end for you to be doing this mural for Monsieur Matthieu anyway."

"Really?" Lucy asked. "So you're okay with it?"

Lucia nodded. "Of course I am, _Bella_. You and I will go down to the opera house right now and present ourselves to Monsieur Matthieu. Is that good?" She raised an eyebrow and it almost went into her dark hair.

"Yes," Lucy nodded. "It's good! Let's go!"

Saying a hurried goodbye to Mimi, the two of them left Lucia's office to head back to the opera house. When they got in the building, they were met by a balding stout man in a tux. "Lucia!" he said, giving her a hug. "Pierre tells me you have a new student who excels in painting?"

Lucia nodded and gestured at Lucy. "This is Signorina Mikaelson. Mimi brought her over. She does beautiful work, exactly the sort of thing you have in mind for the mural you want in the main theatre. Very dark, deep painting."

"Wonderful!" The man Lucy assumed must be Monsieur Mattieu clapped his hands and gave Lucy a look. "When can you start?"

"Any time," Lucy said. "I could start now if you like." As she followed Monsieur Matthieu, she knew she'd have to call and tell her mother about this soon.

* * *

"Do you realize your father only started being nice to me _after_ I told him about Gregory?" Selina asked Elijah.

"Yes, I did notice," Elijah said. "But what does it matter, really? At least he's decided he no longer has reason to be angry with you. That's a good thing."

"No, it is _not_!" Selina said to Elijah. "You just don't get it, do you? The reason why he warmed up toward me is because he is the sort of pompous, self-absorbed jerk who thinks that women are only worth something if they have male babies. And since I did, woo-hoo, yay for me. It's like when Marie Antoinette had her first son. She was told that she'd fulfilled her purpose as a queen and at the same time as a woman. That's how your father thinks of me. Is that how you think of me?"

Elijah was silent for a moment and then said, "Oh, no! You're much more than that. You're so smart and funny and-"

"If you say 'pretty', I will hurt you," Selina said. "Don't tell me I'm pretty."

"I think you're just being silly," Elijah said. "You've got yourself all worked up over nothing. It might just be a coincidence that Father lightened up toward you after he found out about Gregory."

"Lightened up, my ass!" Selina burst out and strode out of the room. "Just where_ is _your father? I'd like to have a word with him!"

"Selina, don't..." Elijah said, running after her.

She found Mikael and Gregory in the living room, playing with his blocks. Mikael would build up a tower and Gregory would knock it down and then burst into laughter."

"Your son is quite intelligent," Mikael said when he saw them. "How old is he now?"

"A year old," Elijah said.

"Well, it's about time you had another one, isn't it?" Mikael asked. "The boy's getting old enough that he shouldn't be coddled anymore. Having another one will stop your wife from being bored."

"That's what I've been telling Selina for a little while now," Elijah said. Selina elbowed him in the gut. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"I_ have _mentioned that you're coddling Gregory too much," Elijah said when he got his breath back. "I've just left out the rest of it."

* * *

That night, Elijah found Selina in her spare room. "Are you coming to bed?" He asked her.

Selina looked at him. "No," she said flatly. "I think I'll stay in here, and get a good night's sleep for once."

"Oh, come now!" Elijah said. "If it's today you're upset about, you're being silly. Father says things sometimes. He doesn't mean anything by them It's just his way."

"If it's just his way, then how come you agreed with him?" Selina asked. "About the whole 'me needing a new baby so I won't be bored' thing?"

"Well, you have to admit you don't do much," Elijah said. "Maybe if you got a hobby, you'd have reason to be as upset as you are, but you really don't do much other than watching Gregory . And that's not a bad thing. It just proves Father's point."

"I'm sorry," Selina said, "did you come in here to try and get me to come back to bed with you, or to prove exactly why it wouldn't hurt you to have a few nights to yourself, because it would seem like you're doing the latter now."

"In case you don't know it, having babies is what sex is for!" Elijah said.

"I do know it," Selina said. "It's not like I haven't had six kids already. And maybe once you've apologized, we can try for seven. But knowing how boorish and stubborn you are, that won't be for a very long time!"

Elijah scoffed. "Oh, _I'm_ stubborn? What about you? How you fuss and go on and on about this all when it's really not that bad."

"You know, having your father here has changed you and that's not a good thing!" Selina said. "You used to be nice and understanding and we did everything with Gregory equally, but now you're acting like it's all up to me. Like bearing your children is my only purpose in life and I should consider being with you some sort of blessing. Well, I don't. At least not now. So I will stay here and you can go back in your room and think about what you've done."

Elijah sighed. "Things will not change," he said. "Father has more influence over me than I'd care to admit and if he saw me treating you as an equal then, well...I'd hear about it. It's a lot easier to just do as he says. He's someone I respect and admire, Selina, and I don't want to disappoint him. Can't you understand that?"

Selina narrowed her eyes. "You may respect and admire your father, but you _love _me. Or at least I thought you did. I thought that what we had would be worth more than any threat your father poses. It used to be. You saved my life and got me out of Paris in the twenties when all your father wanted you to do with me was kill me. Why is it so hard for you to be like that now? To think that same way?" She paused. "Look, I'll make a deal with you: we go and play a game of tennis in the indoor court we have but never use. If I win, you stand up to your father and fight for me. If you win, then we'll just go on like this and I'll come back to our room."

"Normally, I would tell you I don't negotiate, especially not with such silly terms, but as I have never lost a tennis match before, I will accept your deal," Elijah said with a smirk. "I just have to ask. Are you certain you're prepared to play with me?"

Selina grinned. "Am I ever! And after we're done," she winked. "How about a little tennis?"

* * *

Mikael and Gregory happened to be going past the indoor tennis court when Elijah and Selina finished their game. "What are you so upset about?" Selina called after Elijah, who was grumbling angrily to himself. "We weren't even keeping score!"

"We were too!" Elijah said. "But it doesn't matter because it was a stupid game anyway!"

"What's going on here?" Mikael asked.

"Nothing, Father," Elijah said. "Nothing. I'm going to go and get some work done. Do something that's actually _productive_ with my time!"

He strode off and Selina grinned to herself, following him at a much slower pace. "You know," she said, "I really didn't expect to beat you at tennis. I believe you when you said you've never lost a game before. But you played really well."

Elijah ignored her and kept walking.

"Are you going to shower?" Selina asked. "You can go first if you want. You should be nice and clean before you tell your father that you and I have an equal relationship."

He turned and saw her smirk for only a moment before he let out a growl and pushed her against the wall. "Shut up," he said firmly before kissing her deeply. She didn't kiss back right away, but soon, her arms went up around his neck and she was kissing him back. Then she felt his hands going down her back and over her butt and that's when she pushed him away. "That's enough for you, mister!" She said."I'm not gonna let you do that. I'm too mad at you."

"You're too proud, that's what you are," Elijah said. "Always thinking of yourself."

"How am I thinking of myself?" Selina asked. "Is it because I won't have sex with you? Now, let's ask ourselves who the really selfish one is here."

"Well, it's certainly not me," Elijah said. He began walking toward her and she began backing away. "Why won't you have sex with me?"

"Because, as I told you, the only reason you want to have sex, ever since your father put the idea into your head, is so we can have another baby. Not just because you want to enjoy my company or anything like that. And did it ever occur to you that even though I might not currently do a lot more than watch Gregory, I could have something in the works?"

"Do you?" Elijah asked.

Selina nodded. "As a matter of fact, I do. There's a bakery that I go to every so often and the lady that runs it says she's gonna have to close it soon because she no longer has the energy to run the business. I told her that I would be interested in buying it, pending a conversation with you, of course. I've always been interested in running my own business and you have to admit I make good cake."

"And what are you planning to do about Gregory?" Elijah asked.

"Well, you could try watching him," Selina suggested. "Especially since you don't want me 'coddling' him. Or I could take him to work with me. I'll let you decide."

Elijah smirked. "I'm sure Father and I together could handle Gregory. How hard could it be?"

Selina gave Elijah a look and then strode back to Mikael. "Sir," she said to him, inadvertently knocking over Gregory's block tower and making Gregory let out a screech, "I just wanted to let you know that I have decided to start my own business, so you and Elijah will be watching Gregory. I agree that it's about time I let it happen anyway. I do find myself getting much too attached to him." She paused. "And have you considered finding yourself a girlfriend? If your wife can find herself someone new, surely you can too. Granted, Ronan's not exactly new to her, but-"

"Will you stop talking?" Mikael asked. "Elijah, make her stop talking. She's saying things that make absolutely no sense."

"Get used to it," Elijah said to his father as he herded Selina away. "She does that a lot."


	3. I Don't Want to Wait

"So, how did we do tonight?" Sam asked Todd, the drummer, who was peeking out the side of the curtain. "Is there a big crowd?"

Todd turned and shook his head. "No, not really. But at least_ she's _back."

Sam's jaw dropped a little. "You're kidding. She's been here every show! You think she'd be sick of us by now."

"I think she likes you," Todd said. "But I don't know why I'm surprised. Chicks always dig lead guitarists."

Sam went to peek out the curtain himself and saw only a few scattered people in the auditorium, especially one dark-eyed brunette who was sitting in the front row.

"I think I'll go out and say 'Hi'," Sam said. "It's the least I can do if she's _that _much of a fan." He pushed the curtain aside and then walked down the few stairs going down the side of the stage until he was face to face with the woman. "Hi," he said. "I saw you from on stage."

When she saw him, her eyes widened and she stood up. "Oh, my god," she said. "It's you. I can't believe it's you!"

"Yeah," Sam grinned. "It's me. I just wanted to thank you for being here every night to support us."

"Well, of course!" She said. "You have a wonderful voice and your lyrics really touch me."

Sam looked around at the barely full theater. "I wish more people felt like you did," he said.

"Of course you do!" She said. "I could make it happen."

He looked down, seeing that she wore a homemade Lost Innocence t-shirt. "Really?" He asked. "Are you the head of our fan club?"

She nodded. "But I could be more than that. I could give you everything you ever wanted: the fame, the glory, the money. If you'll let me."

Sam looked at her oddly. "Just let me talk it over with the guys and see what they say, all right?"

The woman nodded. "Sure, of course. When you make up your mind, you know where I'll be."

"What's your name?" Sam asked her.

"Oh!" Her eyes widened. "How silly of me." She held out her hand. "I'm Corrie. And of course, I know who you are." She looked at the curtain. "You better get going now. It's almost time for you to start. Good luck. I know you'll be great."

"Thanks," Sam said. He walked away from the woman, who, although she was nice, was also a little strange. She made him slightly nervous.

"So did you tell her 'Hi'?" Todd asked.

"Yeah," Sam said. "But now I don't know if I should have. I think she's crazy. She said she could give us fame and glory and money if we let her."

"She's not crazy," Todd said. "She's probably just an agent. That sounds like agent talk to me. Let's try and find her after the show to try and cut a deal. I mean think about it. It _would_ be nice to have more fans than just our mothers."

They played the show and Corrie kept her eyes on Sam the whole time. When the set was done and the few people besides Corrie had left the theater, he went to talk to her.

"Look, Corrie," he said. "Are you an agent or something? Because me and the guys, we could use someone to represent us."

Corrie grinned and nodded. "I guess you could call me that. You're interested in signing with me?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "Sure."

"Good," she said. She pulled a piece of paper out of her purse. "This is a standard management contract," she said. "It just says that I'll manage you and make you the best band you could be."

Sam looked it over. "What's in it for you?" He asked. "I know you like us, but you wouldn't just manage us and make us popular for free, would you?"

"Oh, I won't ask for anything in return until you've gotten what you wanted," she said. "That's how the game works."

"Well, all right, then," Sam said. "We'll sign the contract, then." She handed him a pen and he and the other guys signed the contract. The ink was red and runny and Sam felt a twinge of apprehension when he realized what it reminded him of: blood.

* * *

"So..." Roxie said, taking a breath, "Here were are then."

"Yeah," Vince said. "We are." He grinned at her. "You seem uncomfortable. Why is that?"

Roxie shrugged. "I don't know."

"Are you having second thoughts?" Vince asked her.

"No," Roxie shook her head. "Of course I'm not. I told you I would at least be _open_ to getting pregnant and I am."

"Enid thought you'd need time so she gave me a version of that potion thing that gives us a month long window," Vince said. "We don't have to rush it if you don't want to."

"I want to!" Roxie said. "I won't flake out on this!"

"I didn't say you would," Vince said. "I just thought you'd need time to wrap your head around it."

"No," Roxie shook her head and looked at him resolutely. "Take off your pants and take me now, before I think about this too much and chicken out."

Vince grinned and took off his pants before taking her to their room. "Yes, ma'am," he said.

When they reached their room, they undressed the rest of the way before Vince said, "Last chance. You can back out now if you want."

"No," Roxie shook her head. "I don't want!"

"Well, I just wanted to make sure because this _will_ get you pregnant right away," Vince said.

"Really?" Roxie asked, her mouth drooping a little. "I was looking forward to having to try over and over and over again."

Vince grinned. "Well, we can do that," he said. "Nothing's stopping us."

Roxie looked down at herself and then at him. "We're standing here naked and all we're doing is talking. Why is that? I'm done talking."

Vince nodded and got her on the bed where he planted kisses all over her body before driving into her. She let out a shriek. This went on for quite some time and when they were finished, covered in sweat and breathing hard, Vince whispered, "That's it. We've passed the point of no return."

Roxie looked at him. "Don't phrase it that way. It makes me nervous."

Vince kissed her hand. "I'm sorry," he said. "So, how do you want to handle telling your parents about this?"

Roxie shrugged. "We should probably sit them all down and tell them. Calmly and rationally."

"That would be a good way to go," Vince agreed. "Taking into account how your father reacted the last time he thought I'd gotten you pregnant."

"Well, that was a mistake," Roxie said. "This is very intentional. And we're married, so there's no excuse for fussing on their part."

Vince took Roxie in his arms again. "I can't wait for this to actually happen. Can you?"

Roxie nodded. "Oh, I'm sure I can. But I'll like it. I think."

"Just think about how we might have a little girl who looks as pretty as you," Vince said. "That's what I want."

"Really?" Roxie asked. "I thought it was a guy thing to want a boy."

"Well, it's not like this is the only baby we can have," Vince said. "There'll be lots of time for us to have others." He smiled. "Wouldn't it be funny if we got both?"

Roxie froze. "What?"

"What if you had twins?" Vince asked. "So we got to have both a girl _and_ a boy?"

Roxie became pale. "Oh, god. I don't think I'm gonna be able to handle one baby, let alone two!"

"It was just an idea," Vince said. "You're not ready for more than one, and I don't think you'd ever have more than you can handle."

Roxie bit her nail. "I hope you're right," she said and gave a little shiver.

* * *

"So this is the place?" Elijah asked as he and Selina and Gregory went into the bakery. "Kind of run down, isn't it? Did you even consider that before you went and agreed to buy it?"

"Well, yes," Selina said, looking around the place with satisfaction. "I have no doubt I can make something of it. And I already have a name in mind: Sweet Emotion."

"That's certainly catchy," Elijah said, trying to sound enthusiastic. But his grin was only half-hearted.

"Look," Selina said, putting Gregory down because he was squirming to get out of her arms. "I know you don't exactly approve of me starting my own business because it goes against all the ideals you hold dear as a person served well by the status quo of a chauvinistic, patriarchal society, but this is something I really want, so could you please support me? It would mean a lot."

Elijah sighed. "You're right. I apologize. I have no doubt you'll be able to turn this into something impressive. You have the skills and the talent to do that."

"Well, thank you," Selina said. "Now, did you decide what you want to do with Gregory? Do you and your father want to watch him, or do you want me to bring him here every day?"

"We can watch him!" Elijah said. "How hard can it be to watch one child?"

Just then, they heard a crash and a loud wait. Gregory had been trying to get up into one of the chairs, but had fallen and hit his head on the floor. "You were saying?" Selina asked Elijah. The two of them ran over and Elijah picked Gregory up and stood him on his feet.

"You'll be all right," Selina said, sitting down on the chair and taking Gregory in her lap, ignoring Elijah's look of disapproval. "You just got a little bump, that's all." She kissed the top of his head and hugged him to her for a few seconds. "There," she said when she noticed he had stopped crying. "All better." She put him down and he ran to the other end of the room, almost knocking into an older lady wearing an apron stained with egg yolks and batter over a printed house dress before Elijah got hold of his hand.

"Hi, Edith!" Selina said to her. "I thought I'd bring my family over to check out my new premises."

Edith took Selina's hand in hers. "I can't thank you enough for agreeing to continue to run my business," she said. "I've done it for so long, I can't imagine my life without it."

Selina smiled. "It's no problem, really. I was glad to do it." She looked at Elijah. "This is Edith Jones. She owned the bakery before I did. Edith, this is my husband Elijah and our son, Gregory."

Edith nodded. "Lovely to meet you," she said, shaking Elijah's hand. Then she looked down at Gregory and smiled, ruffling his dark hair. "I have something for you," she said and headed to the kitchen in the back, returning a few minutes later with a mini cupcake covered in chocolate frosting. "Would you mind if he taste tests this?" She asked Selina. "It's just an idea I had."

"Sure," Selina told her. "Why not?"

Edith handed Gregory the tiny cupcake and he ate it with surprising neatness and then gave her a wide grin of approval. "I've never seen a child that young eat sweets without getting frosting all over their face," Edith sad. "I'm impressed."

Gregory grinned. "Thank you."

"So polite at only a year old," Edith said. "Is that how old he is?"

Selina nodded. "That was one of the first things we taught him to say when he started talking."

"So will it just be Selina working here by herself, then?" Elijah asked.

"No," Selina said. "It will be Edith and me, and Abby. That should be enough people holding down the fort until we're popular."

"Who's Abby?" Elijah asked. Just then, a mousy-looking girl entered the bakery and hung her bag on the coat rack by the door. "Hi, Grandma Edith," she said. "I'm here to work!"

"Come here and meet some people, Abby," Edith said. "Selina brought her family to meet us."

Abby walked over and gave Gregory just a fleeting glance before her eyes settled on Elijah. "Hi," she said, looking awestruck. "It's _you!_"

"Abby, this is my husband Elijah," Selina said. "Elijah, this is Edith's granddaughter, Abby."

"Hello," Elijah said, taking Abby's hand firmly and holding onto it for a moment before letting it go. "It's nice to meet you." Abby just stared at him for a moment, her face turning a shade of red before she burst into a fit of giggles and ran back into the kitchen.

"Did I say something wrong?" Elijah asked. "If I did, I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Selina said, trying not to laugh. "I think Abby just has a little crush on you, that's all. When I first met her, she came into my office, saw the picture of you that I had on my desk, and when I told her who you were, she got this lovestruck look in her eyes and asked if I would bring you down here some time. So I did." She tried not to laugh because Edith was standing right next to her.

The group stood in silence for a moment, then Elijah cleared his throat and tapped his watch. "I have an appointment," he said. "If you've done everything that you need to here, it would be best if we went now." He looked at Edith. "It was lovely to meet you and your granddaughter and I hope to see the both of you again."

"If Abby has her way, you certainly will," Selina said. He gave her a severe look and ushered her and Gregory to the car. Once the car door was closed, Selina burst out laughing. "This is just too funny!" She said. "Can you believe that Abby's got a crush on you?"

"Of course she does," Elijah said. "She's only human after all. She couldn't help herself. Now don't go getting jealous. She's just a girl."

"Oh, I'm not jealous," Selina said. "I'm supporting this all the way. I mean, it's not like there's any risk of me losing you to her, is there?"

"Of course not," Elijah said. "She's just a child. I would never go any younger than you."

"Well that's good," Selina said as they pulled out of the bakery parking lot. She giggled again. "You know, Abby's a high school senior this year. That means she's gonna have a prom. And guess who she'll probably want to go with?"

Elijah's body stiffened. "That's where I will draw the line," he said. "I will not go to a prom with her. Can you imagine how strange that would look?"

"I wouldn't say no so early," Selina said. "She brought one of her guy friends in the other day who it would seem has the hots for me. We could double date!"

Elijah scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. What purpose would that serve?"

"Well, I think Abby has a crush on Derek but is too afraid to say anything. Having you and Abby and Derek and me all in the same spot could get it so you and I could get them together. We would be doing a good thing."

Elijah looked at Selina's hopeful expression. "You've lost your mind," he said.

* * *

When they got home, Elijah went to his office for a little bit while Selina put Gregory down for a nap, and when Elijah emerged again, he said, "So, do you want to take advantage of this time we have to ourselves?"

Selina shook her head. "No," she said.

"Are you still angry about the baby issue?" Elijah asked. "You can't be serious! It's been a week."

"Be patient," Selina said. "The more you nag, the longer the wait will be." She looked up at him. He was frowning. He stood in silence for a moment, before going to grab his coat and hat. "I'm going out," he said. "I don't know when I'll be back." But just as he put his hand on the doorknob, the doorbell rang. Selina opened it and her eyes widened when she saw who was on the other side. "Mama?" She finally got out. "What are you doing _here_?"

Amelia Lockwood Warren gave her daughter a look. "Can't a mother just come visit her daughter?" She asked, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of her blue eyes.

"They can," Selina said as she gestured for Amelia to come in. "And if the mother and daughter got along, that would be normal behavior, but you and I don't get along, so what horrendous thing happened to make you desperate enough to come and see me?"

Amelia removed her mauve hat and sat down on the sofa, smoothing out the wrinkles in her matching suit. "I have some bad news," she said gravely. "Your father has lost his mind and decided to leave me."

"Why would he do that?" Selina asked, shocked.

"It has to do with you," Amelia said. "He claims you don't visit enough and that's my fault."

"Well, you have to admit, you don't exactly make me feel welcome," Selina said.

"You chose a dark path when you activated your werewolf gene," Amelia told her. "You can't expect me to show kindness to you when you've acted in a way I don't approve of."

"Well, that's a bit rich," Selina said, "especially when you consider the fact that you and I are exactly the same thing now, thanks to Nicky. Both hybrids."

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "Turned into something I detest, also because of you." She sniffed.

"And you wonder why Daddy left you," Selina said. "Since you're such a lovely person and all."

Amelia was about to open her mouth to respond when the door to the house opened. "Is everyone home?" Mikael called out.

"In the living room!" Elijah called back. "Selina's mother has come to visit."

Mikael appeared in the living room a short while later and walked over to Amelia, kissing her hand. "Hello," he said. "Are you Selina's mother? I wasn't aware she had any relatives still living. Outside of her own family with my son, I mean."

"Yes, well, I don't see how you _would_ know," Amelia said. "As Selina doesn't like to talk about us. I'm Amelia Lockwood. Or at least I will be after my husband abandons me because he likes Selina better."

Mikael looked at Elijah. "Would you care to introduce me to this charming lady, son?"

Selina made a gagging motion and got up to leave the room. Elijah rolled his eyes, but said, "Amelia, this is my father, Mikael. Father, this, as you know, is Selina's mother, Amelia."

"Charmed, I'm sure," Amelia said. "So you live here?"

Mikael nodded. "I do. I'm helping watch over my grandson. Making sure nothing bad happens to him."

"Is there a danger that something bad _might_ happen?" Amelia asked.

"Well," Mikael nodded. "When you've been around as long as my family and I have, you accumulate enemies, and after what happened to my grandson's sister at her wedding, Elijah thought it wouldn't hurt to have someone around to keep an eye on things. Yes. We have enemies, and it's possible your daughter still does too, from the days when she was one of the most infamous killers in the world. Lonely Heart."

Amelia's eyes widened. "_Selina_ was Lonely Heart? I never would have thought!"

"Yes," Mikael said ruefully. "She was one of the few I never successfully caught." He gave Elijah a look and Elijah cleared his throat and stood up. "Well, I'll leave the two of you to talk about things and get to know each other, shall I?" he said. "I was just going to go out when Amelia came anyway."

"Let me come with," Selina came running out all of a sudden. "Oh, god, please let me come with." She gave her mother and father-in-law a look. "You both wouldn't mind looking after Gregory, would you?"

"Of course not," Mikael said. "You two go and enjoy yourselves. We're quite content where we are."

Elijah and Selina left the house and went to the nearest bar they could find. After Elijah watched Selina drink as much as she could without passing out, he put her in a taxi and told the driver to take her home, thinking to himself that all the drinking in the world wouldn't help with the fact that his father and his mother-in-law had taken a liking to each other.

* * *

Selina tucked Gregory into bed that night, but he refused to close his eyes. "Why won't you sleep?" she asked.

"Dada!" Gregory said brightly.

"You can't see your daddy," Selina said. "He's busy at the moment. You'll see him tomorrow, I promise." She thought he was going to start crying, but he didn't. He just gave her a very severe frown. "No sleep!" he said. "Dada!"

"Fine!" Selina shrugged. "I'll go see if I can find him." She left the room and looked around, but Elijah was not in their bedroom. As she was walking toward the library, she heard Elijah's voice: "You're so pretty, Selina. I love it when we do this." His voice was slurred a bit and then she heard a crash. "Sorry," he said again. Then in a higher pitched voice: "It's all right. It wasn't your fault."

Frowning, Selina opened the library door and heard a yell of "Don't!" She blinked and saw Elijah sprawled out on the floor with one of his statues underneath him, his lips on the statue's lips. "What the hell is going on here?" She asked, looking down at them. Elijah's eyes were out of focus. "Oh, my god," he said. "There are two of you!" He got up and walked over to pull her to him. He kissed her, then his hands began to roam over her body and under her shirt, feeling her breasts.

"That's right, they're real," Selina whispered. "I'm the real one." She moaned as he began kissing her neck. "That feels nice," she said. "That feels nice. Keep going." He removed her shirt and lowered her onto the rug, kissing her stomach and swirling his tongue around her belly button.

"Normally, I wouldn't condone this," Selina said, "But-" She let out a moan as his hand went up her thigh and slipped off her panties. "No!" She said. "This isn't what I came in here for! You have to go see Gregory first!"

"Really?" Elijah frowned. "Do I have to?"

"Wow," Selina said in surprise. "You sound a lot more alert all of a sudden." She sat up. "You were faking it, weren't you? Being drunk, I mean?"

A slow smile curved Elijah's lips. "Will it matter if I say yes?"

She kissed him again. "This time, no. We've already started things. We might as well go all the way." She stood up and slowly stripped off the rest of her clothes before winking at him. "I'll be waiting for you," she said. "Now go say good night to Gregory."

Elijah groaned and put his pants on, which at that point was not an easy task. "This is the worst day. First Abby, then our parents, and now you and your wicked teasing."

"I'm not doing this to be mean," Selina said. "Gregory won't go to sleep unless you say goodnight to him. That's not my fault!"

Elijah rolled his eyes and walked to Gregory's room where Gregory was still awake and waiting for him.

"Dada!" Gregory said and held out his arms. Elijah picked him up. "What is it that you want from me?"

Gregory leaned against him and closed his eyes. As his breathing became regular, Elijah put him back in his crib, tucked him in again and patted him on the head. "Good night, son," he whispered before snapping off the light and leaving the room to head back to Selina. He opened the office door and saw that his desk chair was facing away from him.

"Selina?" He asked. "Where are you?"

The chair slowly turned to reveal Selina, dressed in Elijah's shirt that he'd left behind as well as glasses and a messy bun.

"Miss Stinson," he breathed. She got out of the chair and walked toward him slowly. "Hello, sir," she said in a breathy voice as she slowly let down her hair and unbuttoned the shirt. "What can I...help you with today?"

A sound escaped Elijah's throat as she pushed him against the wall and unzipped him, running her fingers over him. He shut his eyes and moaned. It felt so _good_. Then she ordered him to get on his back on the floor and she alternated between licking and sucking and by the time Elijah regained his senses again, he felt _very_ satisfied.

"Good work, Miss Stinson," he said, his voice breaking a little. "You'll be getting a bonus for that."

He took her in his arms and grinned as Selina giggled and shrieked, "Thank you Mr. Richmond. Oh, _thank you_!"

* * *

The next morning, Selina said to Elijah, "I have a secret for you."

"What?" He asked.

She leaned in closer. "I didn't take my pill last night."

"You mean-?" Elijah began.

"Yeah," she nodded. "We might be on our way to having another baby!"


	4. Fearing the Worst

"So what changed your mind?" Elijah asked. "Because I know you wouldn't have forgotten to take your pill. You're too smart for that."

Selina sighed. "Well, I have my own business, like I wanted, and I figure Mama and Sir will be nicer to me if I'm pregnant. I'm taking one for the team here."

"You mean you don't really want to have another baby?" Elijah asked.

"Well, I do, yes," Selina said. "I just am not used to having babies so close together. I mean, there was thirteen years between Adrian and Roxie, sixteen years between Roxie and Lucy, and don't forget the big one: more than a century between Joshua and Sam. Can you blame me for being a little nervous?"

Elijah put his arm around her. "Well, it's not like you have to raise them by yourself."

Selina raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Are you sure you won't cave under pressure from your father and revert back to your old ways?"

"I'm sure," Elijah said. "I'll help you, I promise. No matter what Father says."

Selina relaxed. "Well, all right then."

"I think we should celebrate our prospective family member," Elijah said. "How about I take you out sometime?"

"Just you and me?" Selina asked. "A place where we order from a waiter and have to wear evening clothes?"

Elijah nodded. "What other sort of place would I take you?"

Selina hugged him. "Good point. I just thought I'd check."

* * *

"So, how do you want to handle this from here on out?" Vince asked. "Should we go to Enid's and make sure everything worked out the way it was supposed to, or do you just want to go right on ahead and tell your parents?"

"I think I'll tell my dad now," Roxie said. "It won't be so hard telling Mom. She's good with that sort of stuff. Dad on the other hand will be more difficult, so I think it would be kindest to tell him about my being pregnant as soon as possible."

Vince nodded. "All right. But remember: you have to tell him as gently as possible. Don't go blurting it out."

"I told you before," Roxie said. "There's nothing to worry about. Dad will _not_ get mad at you. We're married, for crying out loud! He should _expect_ something like this to happen."

"I still want to tread on the side of caution," Vince said. "Can you understand why?"

"Yes," Roxie nodded, patting Vince on the head. "And that's why I'm not making you come with me when I tell him. Because I am a loving and merciful person."

"At times, I would agree with that," Vince said.

"I think I'll go now," Roxie said. "Are you going to be all right by yourself? Don't worry too much about this, all right?"

Vince sighed. "All right. So you _don't_ want to go to Enid's and check to make absolutely sure things worked out the way they should?"

"If the stuff Enid gave you is the same stuff she gave Damon before Mom got pregnant with Sam, I think it'll work all right," Roxie said.

Vince followed her out to the living room where he helped her put on her coat. "Good luck," he said.

"Thanks," Roxie told him. She left the house, got in the car, and started to drive toward Klaus', but changed course at the last minute and drove to Alistair's instead.

"You will never believe who's at the door," Astrid said to Alistair.

"Who is it?" Alistair asked, not looking up from the chess game he was playing with himself. "If I'm never gonna guess, you might as well tell me? Is it Klaus?"

"You're close," Astrid said. "But think of the girl version."

Now, Alistair did look up from his chess game. "Roxanne? But why would she come _here_?"

Astrid shrugged. "She told me she has to talk to you about something urgent. I let her inside and got her a cup of cocoa. She's in the living room, waiting for you."

Sighing, Alistair stood up from the table and walked to the living room where Roxie sat on the sofa, a cup of cocoa in her hands. "Roxanne?" Alistair asked. "Are you all right? What's the problem?"

"It's not really a problem," Roxie said. "I just need some advice and I figured you'd be the perfect person to give it to me. It's about my dad."

Alistair sat down next to her. "Continue please," he said. "I'm going to need more than that."

"Well, you know I'm married now, right?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "I was there."

"Well, my husband and I talked and decided we wanted to have a baby, so he went down to Enid's and got something from her that made it possible for him to father babies even though he's a hybrid and we had sex and now I should be pregnant if the stuff he took worked like it's supposed to. The problem is, I don't know the best way to tell Dad. I don't want to upset him or anything."

"You sure don't," Alistair said. "I remember what happened when you had your pregnancy scare. I tried to talk him out of that, by the way, but sometimes, when your father gets it into his head to do something, there's absolutely no talking him out of it."

"So why don't you tell me something helpful instead of telling me stuff I already know?" Roxie said impatiently. "Please?"

"What do you want me to say?" Alistair asked. "I really don't know what I _could_ say. I suppose I could come with you to tell him," he offered. "To head off any _really bad_ behavior."

Roxie nodded. "That would be a good start," she said. "Thank you." She stood up and began walking out of the living room. "Let's go," she said.

"You want to go _now_?" Alistair asked.

Roxie nodded. "No time like the present. The longer we wait, the more risk we run of Dad being upset."

And with that, Alistair and Roxie left his house and they drove over to Klaus'. When Klaus answered the door, Roxie said, "Are you here by yourself, Daddy? No Caroline?"

"Why?" Klaus asked. "You're going to have to start getting along with her at some point, Roxanne."

"And I will," Roxie said as she and Alistair came inside and made their way to the dining room. "It's just that now is not the right moment. I have to tell you something and it's good she's not here because the thing I have to tell you, well, it's not really any of her business and she'd just make a big deal where there is none."

"What is it then?" Klaus asked. "Tell me."

Alistair and Roxie looked at one another and Alistair said, "Go ahead and tell him, Roxanne. It won't be as bad as you think."

"All right," Roxie said quietly, her eyes not meeting her father's. "Daddy, I think I'm pregnant. But Vince and I are married now, so don't send anyone to break his legs, okay?" After she said what she'd needed to say, she looked at him. He was silent, frozen.

"Daddy?" Roxie asked. "Are you okay?"

"Do you need me to get you a drink?" Alistair asked.

"No," Klaus said, standing up slowly, his knees shaking a little. "I think I can get one myself. Thank you though, Alistair."

Roxie moved closer to Alistair as her father began pulling containers of alcohol out of the cabinets and mixing them all together in one big glass. "He's not mad," she whispered. "That's a good thing, right?"

"Wait just a minute," Alistair whispered back. "I wouldn't start celebrating yet."

"I can hear you two talking," Klaus said. "If you're gonna say something-" He paused and gulped down a large swig of his concoction and then came up for air, stumbling toward the dining room table and collapsing into a chair. "-If you're gonna say something, say it out loud to me."

"We're just worried about you," Roxie said cautiously. "We weren't quite sure how you'd take the news of me being pregnant."

Klaus leaned forward. "You're pregnant?" He asked.

"Yeah," Roxie said. "I told you that. It's what made you start drinking."

Klaus stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. "Wonderful," he slurred as he took another sip of his drink. "Just wonderful."

"Really?" Roxie asked.

Klaus nodded. "Yes! Of course! You're having a _baby_. Why wouldn't it be wonderful?"

Just then, the door to the house opened. "I'm back!" Caroline called. "Klaus, who else is here? Where are you?"

"In the kitchen, Love!" Klaus called.

Caroline appeared a few minutes later. "Roxie?" She asked in surprise. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"She just came by to tell me that I'm going to be a grandfather...again," Klaus said. "Isn't that wonderful, Caroline?"

Caroline turned her eyes on Roxie. "You're pregnant?" She asked. "That is so great! I wanna help! Where should we start?"

Roxie narrowed her eyes at her father and stuck out her tongue. Then she looked at Caroline. "I think we'll start with a drink," she said. Caroline went to get a bottle of champagne out, but Roxie said, "I think I'll have some of _this_."

Caroline took one look at it and snatched the glass away from her. "I don't know what's in there," she said. "But I know that you _definitely_ shouldn't be drinking it in the state you're in. I'll get you an orange juice. How about that?"

"Will it have vodka in it?" Roxie asked.

"No," Caroline shook her head. "But we have the kind that has pulp." She poured some in a glass and put a little umbrella in it. "There you go," she said. "Is that festive, or what?"

Roxie stared at her and she just smiled. "Where did you find her again?" She asked her father. "I want to make sure I never, _ever_ go there." She took the orange juice, sipped it, and winced. "I don't _like_ pulp," she said. "Get rid of the pulp." She held the glass out and shook it. Caroline took it, but not before she poked Roxie in the neck with the umbrella for good measure. Blood spurted out of the wound.

"That's a real nice thing to do to someone who's pregnant," Roxie groaned as she pulled it out.

"You shouldn't be a bitch to people who are just trying to help you," Caroline said. "You should say 'thank you' and go on." She threw a towel at Roxie. "Dab that on your neck before it drips all over my table cloth."

"Thank you," Roxie said mockingly.

"You're welcome," Caroline replied. And when Roxie wasn't looking, Alistair gave Caroline a wink.

* * *

Lenora heard the doorbell ring and went to answer it, seeing a very grumpy old lady holding a box standing on the other side. "Hello, Mrs. Goldfarb, she said sweetly. "How are you?"

"Horrible!" Mrs. Goldfarb barked. "You tell your parents to keep that horrible dog of yours away from my Lady!"

Lenora frowned. "He has a name!" she said. "His name is Rusty and he is _not_ horrible!"

Mrs. Goldfarb plunked the box down just inside the door. "You keep these!" She said. "They're your problem now!" She turned to stomp off and Lenora turned her into a frog. "I'll turn you back when you tell Rusty you're sorry," she said, putting her in a box she got from the nearby garage.

"Who was at the door?" Damon asked Lenora.

"Look!" Lenora said. "Puppies!"

Damon groaned and rolled his eyes. "Did you make those?"

Lenora shook her head. "Rusty did. I didn't know he had magical powers too!"

Damon shook his head. "Rusty didn't make the puppies because he's magical."

Lenora put down the puppy she had been cuddling and looked at Damon curiously. "Then how did he make the puppies?"

Damon cleared his throat. "That's something that would be more appropriate for your parents to tell you. Ask them when they get home."

"I don't want to wait until my parents get home," Lenora said. "I want you to tell me _now."_

"Well, who says I know anything?" Damon asked. "I could be as clueless about how Rusty made the puppies as you. Did you think of that?"

"You do _too_ know!" Lenora said. "You knew that it wasn't magic that made the puppies!"

"Well, just because I know that it wasn't magic that made the puppies, that doesn't necessarily mean I know how they _really_ got here."

"Are you lying to me?" Lenora asked.

"No," Damon said. "I'm telling the truth."

Lenora shook her head. "No you aren't!" She waved her hand and Damon felt strange. Lenora asked again, "How did Rusty make the puppies?" She put her hands on her hips and looked at him severely.

"Well," Damon said after a moment of silence. "He and a girl dog decided they liked each other very much and the girl dog gave Rusty a piggyback ride, and while the girl dog was giving Rusty a piggyback ride, he gave her something that made her have puppies in her stomach, and then she gave birth to the puppies and now here they are."

"That's it?" Lenora said.

"Yes," Damon said. "That's it. Now the discussion of where puppies come from is closed. We have to figure out what to do with them."

"I know you're not even lying to me," Lenora said, flicking her hand again. "I put a truth spell on your and if you'd been lying to me, bad things would have happened to you."

"I would _never _lie to you," Damon said.

"All right," Lenora replied as they rounded up all the puppies (and found a cage for Mrs. Goldfarb the frog) and then headed in the direction of the pet store.

"You remember when you and me and Aunt Lucy went to the park that one time?" Lenora asked after they'd been driving awhile.

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "What about it?"

"What were you and Aunt Lucy doing that you didn't want me to see?" Lenora asked. "Were you and Aunt Lucy making babies?"

Damon almost swerved but managed to right himself just in time. "Your aunt and I were _not _making babies," he said. "We just wanted some time alone."

"Do you_ want _to make babies with Aunt Lucy?" Lenora asked.

"You're just full of questions today, aren't you?" Damon asked. "How about we don't talk anymore and just look out the window? That's a good idea."

Lenora rolled her eyes, but obeyed and looked out the window. When they got to the pet store, they dropped the puppies off and Damon compelled the owner of the pet store to keep them. They were about to go when Lenora turned back. "Can I keep this one?" She asked, taking one of the puppies from the box. "He likes me."

"You already have Rusty and Snowball," Damon said. "I don't know if your parents would want you to have any more pets."

"But _look_ at him!" Lenora said. "Isn't he cute?"

"That doesn't matter," Damon said firmly. "You can't always have what you want."

"Yes, I can! Rusty is _Daddy's _dog, not mine." Lenora said. "And I_ want _this puppy!"

"And you might be able to have it," Damon said. "All you'd have to do is ask your mommy and daddy first and see what they say."

"They're gonna say 'no'," Lenora said.

"You don't know that," Damon said, gently taking the puppy back from her. "They might say 'yes'. He put the puppy back in the box and took Lenora's hand. "Let's go," he said. "We've done what we came here to do and now we can go back home and do something else. Like you can turn Mrs. Goldfarb back into a person."

Lenora crossed her arms and sank down into the passenger's seat. "I don't like Mrs. Goldfarb," she said huffily, pushing her blonde hair out of her eyes. "I don't _want_ to turn her back into a person."

"I'm sure your mother would want you to," Damon said. "I'm sure she doesn't want you to use your magic to do bad things to people all the time."

"I don't!" Lenora said, looking offended. "Just to Mrs. Goldfarb. Daddy would want me to. He says she's a bitch."

Damon smirked. "And having actually met her, I'm inclined to agree with him, but that doesn't mean she deserves to spend the rest of her life as a frog."

"Can I at least keep her a frog until Mommy comes home and tells me I have to change her back?" Lenora asked. "Please?"

Damon sighed. "Okay. Just don't tell her that I said it was okay. She might get mad at me if she knew I was encouraging you to misbehave."

"You don't do anything Daddy doesn't do and Mommy still likes _him_," Lenora said. "I think it will be okay."

They got home and found Helene already back. "Why are you home so early, Mommy?" Lenora asked.

Helene shrugged. "I just thought I would come home early and spend time with you, but if you _want_ me to leave-"

"No, no!" Lenora said. "You can stay."

Helene grinned. "Well, all right then." She went to sit on a sofa in the living room and gestured for Damon and Lenora to join her. "So," she said to them, looking eager, "What have the two of you been doing today?"

"Nothing much," Lenora said. "Just playing outside. And we went to the library."

"You _did_?" Helene asked in surprise. "Did you find any good books?"

Lenora shook her head. "No. Not really. Oh, and Mrs. Goldfarb came to yell about Rusty, so I turned her into a frog."

"Your daddy will be proud of you," Helene said dryly.

"But you're not, right?" Lenora said. "You probably want me to change her back now."

"Eventually yes," Helene said. "It's not good to use your magic on people just because they're irritating pests. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let your daddy see what you did before you turn her back into a person. It'll make his day."

"See?" Lenora said, turning to Damon. "I _told_ you Mommy wouldn't be mad about Mrs. Goldfarb!"

Damon stood up. "Well, I stand corrected," he said. "Since your mother is back, if you don't need me for anything else, I think I'll be on my way."

Helene grinned. "Thank you, Damon," she said. "Why don't you try going for a drive? It's a little cold, but otherwise a nice day."

"I'll keep that in mind," Damon nodded. "Thank you, Helene."

* * *

But instead of going for a drive, he headed right back to his room at Stefan and Anna's.

"What are you doing back so early?" Stefan asked, meeting him at the door. "Did Lenora become too much for you to handle?"

"She asked me where puppies come from today," Damon said. "If I can survive that, _nothing_ she throws at me will be too much to handle."

"You didn't tell her the truth, did you?" Anna asked.

"I told her a version of the truth," Damon said. "She put a truth spell on me. I couldn't flat out lie to her without horrible things happening to me."

Stefan clapped him on the shoulder. "You sound like you could use a drink," he said. "Could you?"

"Yes, please!" Damon nodded. "The stronger the better."

Saying goodbye to Anna, Damon and Stefan left and drove out of town to a dive where they could not only get a good drink, but also feed on the customers with less of a chance of getting caught.

"Two beers, please," Stefan said when they sat down. "Those are for him." He pointed at Damon. "I'd like three shots of whiskey myself."

"Looks like they got a new barmaid," Damon said.

"Of course they had to," Stefan told him. "We drained the last one. So, how did this Lenora and puppies thing come up?"

"Well, you know about Rusty, of course, and how he's back to being a dog," Damon said. "Well, apparently he became infatuated with the next door neighbor's cocker spaniel and they made puppies together, which pissed off the cocker spaniel's owner to no end, so after the puppies were born, the woman drops them off on Lenora's doorstep and says they're not her problem anymore. Lenora, of course, turned the woman into a frog. I can't say I got too mad when she told me about it. Lenora saw the puppies, asked how they got here and things progressed from there." He took a big gulp from the beer bottle and swallowed, sighing with satisfaction. "That's good stuff."

Stefan looked at the barmaid who wore a low-cut dress. "That's even better stuff," he said. "Do you want the first taste, or can I have it?"

"You haven't fed today?" Damon asked.

Stefan nodded. "Yeah, I have. But that doesn't mean I can't have more, right?" He eased himself off the barstool and and boosted himself over the bar.

"Hey!" The barmaid said. "You can't be back here!" Stefan smirked. "I think I can," he said. "And I think you'd be more than happy to let me. I just came back here for a drink. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No," the woman said flatly. "Go ahead." Stefan grabbed her around the waist and gently tilted her head back to expose her neck. Then he bit down and began sucking greedily. When he finally stopped himself, his mouth was covered with blood. "You want some?" He asked, offering Damon the woman's limp body.

Damon shook his head. "No, thanks. I'm good."

Stefan shrugged. "Suit yourself." He continued to drink from the woman until she was dry, then he dropped her crumpled body behind the bar and went back to sit beside Damon.

"Should have saved some for Anna," Damon remarked.

"Nah," Stefan shook his head and wiped off his mouth. "She prefers to get her blood herself. Nothing wrong with that."

"True," Damon said. He finished off his first beer and started on the second one. "Now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with myself for the rest of the day. I'm not used to being out and about this early."

"Don't act like you're mulling over a lot of options," Stefan said. "You're gonna go back home, lock yourself in your room and think about Lucy, aren't you?"

"Oh, come on!" Damon said. "You are _not_ allowed to judge me about that. As I recall, you had a certain someone that drove you to behave the same way."

"Elena and I were a mistake," Stefan said. "I should never have gotten involved with her. She messed with my mind. Stopped me from being myself. I was stupid."

Damon nodded. "Well, it's good you _finally_ see that. But to compare your supposed 'feelings' for Elena and say that they're the same as my feelings for Lucy, well, that's just ridiculous."

"It _is_ the same, Damon." Stefan said. "You had a thing with Isobel and then that made you want to have a thing with Elena. You had a thing with Selina, but that ended, so now you're transferring those feelings for Selina onto Lucy. You shouldn't do that, Damon. It's not fair."

Damon's lip curled. "Can I assume by your tone and the words you're using that Klaus _still_ doesn't approve of my relationship with Lucy and is doing all he can to ruin it while she's not here to stop him? And the Isobel-Elena issue was a coincidence. I developed feelings for Elena because she looked like Katherine and I thought I had feelings for Katherine."

Stefan shook his head. "Klaus has nothing to do with what I'm saying. This is all me, trying to reason with you about Lucy. If you don't stop things now, one or the other of you will get hurt and I don't want that."

"What's that supposed to mean, Stefan?" Damon asked. "You think she's off in Europe somewhere with another guy? Do you think she's forgotten all about me?"

"It's possible," Stefan said. "I'm not saying it's a definite thing, but it's possible. She's so much younger than you, that it's not inconceivable she'd want a guy her own age."

"She tried that already," Damon said. "And you know what happened? He tried to _kill_ her! I almost died myself saving her life! And you should have seen how much she cried when I put her on that airport to Paris. It was a lot."

"And is it possible you influenced her to have these feelings for you because you're afraid of being alone?" Stefan asked.

Damon finished off his other beer and got off the bar stool, looking Stefan straight in the eye. "No," he said firmly. "Manipulating people for fear of being alone is your thing, Stefan. Not mine." And before Stefan could reply, he strode out of the bar, and drove off in Stefan's car, leaving Stefan stranded at the bar.

* * *

"Show your father what you did today," Helene said to Lenora.

"What did you do?" Adrian asked, looking at Lenora warily.

"Just a minute!" Lenora ran and got the box from her room that had Mrs. Goldfarb the frog in it and brought it back, handing it to Adrian. "Look inside!" she said eagerly, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Okay..." Adrian opened the box just as the frog let out a loud croak. Surprised, Adrian dropped the box and freed Mrs. Goldfarb, who began hopping away. Lenora picked her up and said to her father, "Do you know who this _is_?"

Adrian ran his hands through his blond hair. "Not another pet, Lenora. No more pets."

"It's not a pet," Lenora said. "It's Mrs. Goldfarb. I turned her into a frog!"

"_Did_ you?" Adrian asked, looking less perturbed. "What'd she do that finally made you give her the finger?"

"She was being mean about Rusty!" Lenora said. "Just because Rusty made Lady have puppies."

At that, Adrian choked and began coughing. "_What_ did you say about Rusty?"

"Lady gave him a piggyback ride and then they had puppies," Lenora said. "But I don't have the puppies anymore. Damon made me take them to the pet store."

"Good," Adrian said. "I guess that means we'll have to get Rusty fixed."

"Why?" Lenora asked. "Is he broken?"

"No," Helene said. "It just means that he's gonna have an operation so he can't make anymore babies."

"Oh," Lenora nodded. "Is Daddy fixed? Is that why you don't have other babies besides me?"

"No," Helene said as Adrian turned red. "Your daddy isn't fixed. He and I decided after you were born that you were the only kid we were gonna have. And that's okay; my parents didn't have any other kids besides me, either."

"_Oh_," Lenora said. "Okay." She went over to Adrian and hugged him. "I love you, Daddy."

Adrian hugged her back. "I love you, too. Now what do you say I finally teach you how to hunt tonight?"

"Yeah!" Lenora said eagerly. Then, she looked at her mother. "Is that okay, Mommy?"

Helene nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Go knock yourselves out."

* * *

"So, how are you doing?" Joshua asked when he appeared at his father's bedside that night. "Any better?"

Damon rolled over. "Just a little," he said. "But not much. What are you doing here? You promised your mother you'd look out for Sam."

Joshua nodded. "And Sam is doing okay. _You_ look like the one I should be worrying about."

"And why are you caring all of a sudden?" Damon asked. "You _know_ why I've been a bad mood and you made it clear before that you'll give me no sympathy about Lucy. Just like your uncle Stefan."

"You really love her?" Joshua asked. "She's not just some quick way to get over Mother?"

Damon sat up. "I almost _died_ saving her. What does that tell you?"

Joshua sighed. "It tells me that I underestimated the whole situation," he said. "And I'm sorry. Is Mother all right with it?"

Damon nodded. "She's made peace with it, I think."

"Then I will too," Joshua said. "Now I best be getting back to Sam, since I assume you can handle being here by yourself?"

"Yes," Damon nodded. "I don't like it, but I can handle it." Joshua then faded away, leaving Damon alone. He lay on his back in bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to the silence. Then, the silence was broken by the ringing of a phone.

"Hello?" A voice broken up by static said loudly. "Damon, are you there?"

"Lucy?" Damon said after a moment. "Lucy, is that you?"

"Yeah," Lucy shouted back. "It's me! Did I wake you? I woke you, didn't I?"

"You would have if I'd have been sleeping, but I wasn't," Damon said. "How are you?" The phone static was starting to lessen now.

"Good," Lucy replied. "I got a big job that's gonna get me lots of publicity when I've finished with it. I'm doing a mural for the opera house down here."

"Congratulations," Damon said. "So have you started already?"

"No," Lucy said. "I start in the morning. And I've been having trouble sleeping because I'm so excited. How have you been?"

"Functioning," Damon said. "Did you get the letter I sent you?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "It was so sweet, thank you. And I hope you really _are_ able to come down here for your birthday. I'd like that."

"I would too," Damon said, gripping his phone tighter. "You miss me?"

"Well, yeah," Lucy said. "Of course! Especially whenever guys hit on me. It's impossible to turn men off down here. If I tell 'em I'm already seeing a guy, it just makes them want to pursue me more. I told Sam and he suggested I try the opposite and tell them I'm a lesbian, but that doesn't help either." She sighed. "You'd think he'd be able to say something constructive, but I guess he's just too distracted by his new girlfriend."

"Sam has a new girlfriend?" Damon asked. "What's she like?"

"I haven't met her," Lucy said. "But he says she's the manager of his band, her name is Corrie, and she's really pretty and really nice. That's all I know, though."

"It's more than I knew," Damon said. "Thanks for keeping me updated."

"You're welcome," Lucy said. He heard her yawn.

"You should go to sleep," he said. "It sounds like you've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

"Are you going to be all right?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Damon said. "I'll be fine. You need to be awake and aware for tomorrow. Goodnight, Lucy. I love you."

"Good night, Damon," Lucy replied. "I love you too."


	5. The Rescue

"So how did it go?" Vince asked Roxie when she returned. "Did you tell your dad?"

Roxie nodded. "I did, and he started drinking. It was impressive."

"And you're not worried about telling your mom?" Vince asked.

Roxie shook her head. "Of course not. She'll probably jump for joy because I'm doing something so grown up. Either that, or fear for the kid's life. I don't know."

"Are you still nervous now that all this has had time to sink in?"

Roxie sat down. "Well, I'll admit that I'm not exactly jumping for joy, but I don't hate the idea. I don't know why." She looked at him. "Tell me why I don't hate the idea!"

Vince shrugged. "I don't know. They're your thoughts, not mine."

"I'm scared," Roxie admitted. "What if the baby is born and something goes wrong? What if we mess up and can't keep it alive? Actually, if that happens, it will probably be my fault somehow, since I'm the mom and all."

"Nothing is going to happen," Vince said. "I think you're getting yourself all worked up prematurely. But at least you're worrying. That means you've grown up. Even a few months ago, you probably wouldn't have cared what happened to anyone else besides you or me at all."

Roxie nodded. "That's true. I _do_ care about this baby. More than I thought I would."

"And you'll only like it more when it actually comes," Vince said.

"How do you know all this?" Roxie asked.

"Tessa told me our parents gave her that same song and dance when I came along," he said. "She wasn't too eager to have another sibling," Vince said. He looked up at the clock. "I think I'll head over to Enid's. Do you want me to tell her you won't be coming into work today? Or do you think you'll be able to handle it?"

"I'll come into work," Roxie said. "I could use the distraction."

* * *

"What 'cha reading, Caroline?" Selina asked as she walked into the restaurant they were having lunch at and noticed Caroline reading a book. Caroline shut it quickly and looked up at her. "It's good," she said, holding it up. "Have a look."

Selina took it and looked it over. It had a man and a woman embracing each other. The man wasn't wearing a shirt and the woman's dress was torn off the shoulder. "This is one of those schmultzy romance novels, isn't it?" Selina asked. "How can you read something like this? It's garbage!"

"Well, just because something isn't educational or whatever, that doesn't make it garbage," Caroline said. "Read it. Love it. Expand your literary horizons."

Selina shook her head and put the book back on the table. "Are you _nuts_? If Elijah found me reading something like this, do you know how much it would piss him off? Besides, I don't see why I need to drown myself in fantasy when my reality is just perfect."

"Oh, I don't know," Caroline said. "Why don't you try a little experiment? Read the book and see how he reacts to it. If you're as unaffected by it as you say and he still throws a fit, what does that say about him? You have the right to read whatever you want without it being any of his business."

"But I don't want to read this at all," Selina said. "And I don't want to start a bunch of trouble just to prove a point. I love Elijah and I don't want to go out of my way to upset him. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom." And with that, she stood up, and strode off. Once she was gone, Caroline slipped the book in her purse and zipped it right back up again.

Selina returned a few minutes later and sat down. "Everything all right?" She asked Caroline, who was smirking.

"Yeah," Caroline nodded, sobering. "Everything is perfectly perfect. So what are you gonna eat? I'm not too hungry myself."

* * *

When Selina got home a couple of hours later, she emptied out her purse to separate the change from the rest of the stuff, like usual, and groaned. "Caroline!" She muttered under her breath, picking up the book. "I'm not gonna read this. I'm not." She put it back in her purse and put her purse over her shoulder, then headed out to the kitchen where Elijah and Gregory were sitting and watching her. "I'm gonna head back to the bakery now," she said. "I just came by to drop off my leftovers. Feel free to eat them if you want. I put them in the refrigerator. They're in a white box."

"Mama go?" Gregory asked, toddling toward her and taking her fingers in his little hand.

Selina nodded and patted him on the head. "Yes, Gregory. Mommy has to work, but you get to stay here and spend time with your daddy." Gregory stared at her for a second more and then his lip began to tremble and he held up his arms.

"Oh, all right," Selina said, picking him up. "I'll take you with me. But just this once." Elijah gave her a frown and she shrugged. "Don't look at me like that," she said. "I have a feeling you would get just as upset as him if I didn't react the same way when _you_ were upset. Just keep that in mind."

"Just don't give him too many sweets," Elijah said. "It's not good for him."

"Oh, all right," Selina heaved an exaggerated sigh. "I guess I can taste test everything myself. And if Abby asks about you, what should I say?"

"Tell her to go find a boy her own age," Elijah said without looking up.

"You really are a hypocrite, you know. She's just a girl."

Now, Elijah did look up. "I can't believe you're encouraging this. I would have thought you'd have snapped her neck out of jealousy by now."

Selina's eyes widened. "I can't believe you'd want a girl dead just because she has a crush on you!"

Elijah shook his head. "It's not that. Of _course_ it's not that. I just...I just wish you'd stand up for us, you know? You're so blase about this whole thing that it just seems like I don't mean anything to you."

"Well, that's just ridiculous!" Selina said. "You know that's not true. And what would you have me do? Beat her over the head? Kill her? Get in a huge cat fight with her where she proclaims 'If I can't have him then nobody can'? And then I say something equally silly? Not to make light of your feelings, but..." She paused. "You can't blame me for not having a super emotional, passionate response. We're too comfortable for that. I love you, you love me. It's not like I have to worry about your eye wandering or anything. That's the sort of thing that provokes passionate, emotional responses, which I think are unhealthy and stupid." She shifted Gregory a little. "Now if you'll excuse me, Gregory and I are going off to work."

She left Elijah alone to ponder what she'd said, hoping that it would assure him that he had nothing more to worry about. She went to the bakery for a few hours and then came back. She found a note from Elijah in the kitchen that said he was in his office, reading.

Throwing the note in the trash, Selina put Gregory in his room and decided to reach into her purse and take out the book. She looked it over and turned it around in her hands, scoffing. "Still crap," she said. "But I'm not in the mood to read anything that will tax my brain too much, so I might as well start it." She curled up in her own chair, her feet dangling over the arm rest. She opened the book and began reading. She was absorbed in it enough that she didn't hear Elijah come in to the living room.

"You're back!" He said in surprise. "I didn't hear you come in."

Selina quickly shut the book and tried to put it somewhere in the chair where Elijah wouldn't see it. "Of course you didn't," she said. "You were in your office reading. I wasn't expecting a welcome or anything."

"Are you reading?" He asked.

Selina nodded. "Yeah. Just something I found somewhere. It's not even that good."

"It must be," Elijah said. "You started pretty badly when I spoke to you. I don't even think you heard me come in."

"No, it's not," Selina said. "In fact, I think I'll stop reading it right now and throw it away."

"Don't be silly," Elijah said. "I'm interested to find out what sort of book would have you so absorbed. Come into my office and read with me."

"Oh, no thanks," Selina told him, shifting a little as the book rolled around underneath her. "That's really not necessary. Your office is your special space and I don't need to be in there unless you and I are having sex."

"Are you all right?" Elijah asked her, coming closer to the chair. "You seem nervous."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm not nervous. What reason would I have to be nervous?"

Elijah shrugged. "I don't know. I think only you can answer that." He kept staring at her and Selina finally decided that the only thing that would make him go away was if she told him the truth. "Here it is," she said, pulling the book out from underneath her. "Here's the book I'm reading, if you're _so_ interested."

Elijah took the book away from her and frowned. "Why are you reading this? It's trash."

Selina sighed. "I know, but I thought I'd try something a little different to read, you know? Something off my beaten path. Something that just...that's like the book equivalent of candy."

Elijah's eyes widened. "There you go again!" He said. "Talking about change and doing things that are out of the ordinary. Am I a part of this? Am I _boring_ you?"

"No!" Selina said. "Of course not. For god's sake, Elijah. It's just a book. And you were the one who wanted to see it. I didn't pull it out and wave it gleefully in front of your face."

"So you were going to hide it from me?" He asked. "You were just going to keep reading it and not say a word about it to me? Do you think so little of me that you no longer have to be honest? Selina, I would never lie to you and I would hope that as my wife, you'd extend me the same courtesy, but obviously not."

Selina narrowed her eyes. "Of course I would be honest with you, if it was over something that mattered, but you know what? This doesn't. You shouldn't be throwing a tantrum about the things I read. They shouldn't concern you. If I want to read a schmultzy, stupid romance novel, then damn it, I will read a schmultzy stupid romance novel, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Well, fine!" Elijah shouted after her as she strode out of the living room. "You enjoy whatever sexual satisfaction you get from reading that book because you certainly won't be getting any from me!"

Selina turned, a grin on her lips. "Oh, please," she said. "I bet you I can outlast you on that."

* * *

But despite her bravado, as one day became several days, she decided that it was time to bring them both back to their senses. They weren't even speaking except for "Would you like some coffee?" and "No, thank you," at breakfast, and Selina had a feeling that even Gregory was beginning to notice.

"I know how to fix this," Selina said to Gregory while she mixed up cupcake batter at the bakery. She was relieved that the grand opening was a week away. It gave her an excuse _not_ to be at home. At least here, she had people to talk to. She handed Gregory an egg. "Would you break this for me, please?"

Gregory looked at it for a moment, then dropped it on the floor, where it cracked and yolk seeped out onto the tile.

"That's a good try," Selina said to him. "But next time, do it over the _bowl_, okay?" She ruffled his hair and got another egg, tapping it twice on the edge of the mixing bowl and dumping the yolk inside. "Like that. See?"

Gregory nodded as if he understood. Selina continued pouring ingredients into the mixing bowl and as she put a batch of cupcakes into the oven, she heard a knock on the kitchen door. "Come in," she said.

"Hi," Abby said, but didn't come any farther than just inside the doorway. "I know it's probably none of my business, but why hasn't your husband come around lately?"

"Oh, we're fighting at the moment," Selina said. "The only time we talk is at breakfast, and even then, it's only a sentence or two."

"Well, that's a shame," Abby said. "I'm sorry." But her eyes were twinkling.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, I'd advise against it," Selina said. "My husband is a bit advanced for an inexperienced girl like you. Have you ever even had a boyfriend?"

Abby shook her head. "Not in real life, no. But sometimes, I read novels and pretend that the men in the books are my boyfriends. Is that weird? It's weird, isn't it?"

Selina shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat. I'm not gonna judge."

They stood in silence for a moment before Abby finally said, "Anything that needs to be put in the display case?"

Selina nodded at a cake that had just finished cooling. "Go ask your grandmother if she would put that out."

"Oh, I could do it!" Abby said eagerly. "I won't drop another one, I promise."

"Well, all right," Selina said. "But I think it would be best if you and your grandmother carried the cake out together."

Abby nodded and disappeared.

"Cuh-Cay!" Gregory said.

"What?" Selina asked.

"Cuh-Cay!" Gregory repeated. He pointed at a batch of cupcakes that were cooling. Selina took one out and broke off a piece, handing it to him. "Be careful," she said. "It might be a little hot still."

But Gregory had consumed the whole piece before she'd finished speaking. "Well, I guess you like that," she said. "Let's get you a little more." She handed him another piece and then continued talking about the same thing she'd been talking about before Abby had interrupted them.

"The way to make things better with your daddy is to take him away somewhere, where the two of us can talk alone. Maybe a tropical island or something, where he can't escape. Like Hawaii, or Tahiti. You know, I've not been to either of those places," she said to Gregory. "I mean, I thought about going to Hawaii a couple of times. The first was when I was dating this military guy in the early '40s. He wanted me to come and visit him. But wouldn't you know it, just the day before my boat took off, Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese and that wouldn't have been such a merry vacation, now would it? And then, I thought about going again after it became a state in '59, but then everyone and his brother wanted to go and it was impossible to get a flight, so I just let it go and in time, I forgot." She sighed and picked him up. "Let's go get some tickets to Hawaii, for me and your daddy. What do you say?"

* * *

When they got home with the tickets, Selina put Gregory in his room, but didn't see Elijah anywhere. She was relieved. It would be easier to put the tickets where she wanted to put them if he wasn't around. She walked to their bedroom and slowly opened the door, praying that the hinges wouldn't squeak. She looked inside and didn't see Elijah anywhere. She breathed a sigh of relief and gripped the tickets tighter as she tiptoed around to Elijah's side of the bed to place them on his bedside table. But as she was setting them down, she heard an exclamation. "Here you are! _Now_ what are you doing?" She started, dropping the tickets as Elijah sped behind her. "I got something for you," she said finally. For _us._"

Elijah's lip curled. "And who exactly are you referring to when you say 'us'? It can't be me, since you find me boring and lacking in several areas, so _us_ must refer to you and your secret lover!"

"What secret lover?" Selina asked. "Have you completely lost your mind? I don't have any secret lovers!"

"Of course you do!" Elijah said. "Because that's what you _do_ when you get bored with someone. You just dump them for someone else without so much as a word. Or do you not remember how you and I came together?"

"That is _completely_ different than this!" Selina said. "You can't compare what happened with you and me and Nicky to what is going on here, because what is going on here is all in your head!"

Elijah slowly picked the tickets up off the bedroom floor and looked them over. "Hawaii," he said. "How nice. You and the mystery man eating pineapple on the beach, going swimming in the surf under the moonlight, maybe seeing a volcano?"

"Yeah," Selina said. "That's what I was kind of hoping we would do."

Elijah let out a growl and snatched the tickets out of the envelope and ripped them to little tiny pieces, letting them float to the ground while Selina let out a shriek. "What the hell did you do that for? Now the whole thing is totally ruined!"

"Well, good!" Elijah told her. "Now you can stay home and think about the hurt you're causing me!"

"Oh, yes!" Selina said. "It's all about_ you_, isn't it?! Well, I'm sorry. But you have just ruined what would have been a very good time for both of us and I have to leave so I don't end up doing something in anger that I know I'll regret later when you're _not_ acting like a total ass!" She stomped out of the room, got in her car, and headed for Enid's.

* * *

"Well, someone looks angry," Roxie said as her mother stormed into the bar. "What happened?"

"None of your business," Selina said. "Just take out whatever's closest and start pouring."

"Vince told everyone not to let me have access to any alcohol whatsoever when I'm here by myself," Roxie said. "So you won't be able to drink this problem away. You're gonna have to talk about it."

Selina looked at Roxie and scoffed. "If I told you, I doubt you'd care. So let's just find someone who _can_ handle alcohol and they can pour me a double scotch."

"A double scotch?" Enid said in surprise. "You never have anything that strong. What's happened?"

Selina sighed. "Me and my husband are having a fight because he caught me reading a sappy romance novel and now he thinks I'm cheating on him, which is totally not true."

"It better not be," Enid said to her. "It really makes me angry to watch women throw away perfectly lovely relationships just because of one little problem. Not everyone is lucky to have even _one_ boyfriend, so you shouldn't just go around throwing them away cause you think there'll be other better ones."

"Enid's been a bit lonely lately," Roxie said. "That's why she's in a mood."

"I used to be in charge of fertility and marriage, you know, back when my father and sisters and I were gods for that pagan tribe in Cornwall years and years ago. It was my _job_ to make sure people got together and had babies and I guess old habits die hard."

"You want to meet someone?" Selina asked.

Enid nodded. "Of course. But there are so few nice guys out there today. They must all be hidden away somewhere."

"This might not make you happy right away, but my parents split up recently, my mom got together with my father -in-law, and I assume my daddy is still by himself. He's nice. You'd like him."

"I know your father's not a werewolf. You got that from your mother," Enid said. "So your daddy is-?"

"A vampire," Selina finished. "There's no problem with that, is there?"

Enid shook her head. "He could be a three-headed martian as long as he's nice. I'll give him a shot. But before we go any further, what are you planning to do about your husband? How are you planning to fix things between the two of you?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. But why is it me who has to fix things? Why can't _he_ put in a little effort?"

"Because he's a man," Enid said. "Sometimes they won't see reason unless you beat them over the head with it or yell it all the top of your lungs."

"You know," Selina said, "There's that empty billboard down the road from here. I might be able to do something with that..."

* * *

Feeling very tense, Elijah sat down in his chair and tried to relax. He'd never tell Selina, but it was hard taking care of Gregory, much harder than he realized. As much as he loved Gregory, he hoped Selina would stop acting like a child soon and come home so _she_ could take care of him. Rubbing his temples, Elijah sat down and turned on the television to take in the news. The first story caught his eye and made him be overcome with worry. It was, "Woman Stranded on Billboard." And, as it turned out, it was Selina who was dangling from the billboard where she'd written a message proclaiming her love for _him_ that was very hard to miss. Elijah threw down the remote, grabbed Gregory, and after dropping him off at Elissavetta's, drove downtown to where the billboard was. He was stopped by a police officer as he tried to reach Selina.

"No, it's all right," he said. "I'm her husband. If you let me through, I'll climb up and coax her down. She really doesn't like heights."

"You're Elijah?" The police officer asked him. "You are one lucky man, you know that?"

Elijah nodded. "Yes, I do," he said thoughtfully. "Yes, I do know that. Now."

"Well, all right," the police officer nodded. "Go on through." Elijah eased his way through the crowd of excited onlookers, medical personnel, firemen and other police officers until he was finally standing right in front of the billboard from where Selina was perilously hanging. "Help!" she cried. "Somebody help me, please!"

"Just try to stay calm!" Elijah called back. "I'm here and I'll get you down! Just take some deep breaths and close your eyes if you need to." He then turned and said to the head police officer, "I can deal with this. Everyone else can go back to their work now. Thank you so much for your concern."

"Are you sure?" The officer asked. "How are you planning on getting up to rescue her?"

"Well, don't things like this have ladders?" Elijah asked. "I'll just climb the ladder."

It took awhile, but eventually, he managed to get everyone to leave. Then, he leaped onto the billboard and looked down at Selina. "Give me your hand, darling," he said. "I'll get you off the rope."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I can't let go. I just can't."

Elijah held out his hand. "Trust me," he said. "I promise I won't let you fall."

Finally, Selina took a deep breath, let go of the rope with one hand, and grabbed Elijah's. "I've got you," he said. "I've got you." He put his arms around her, and although one of her hands was still firmly clutching the rope she'd been hanging from, she seemed to have loosened up a little.

"Now do you think you can let go of the rope with your other hand?" He asked her. "We won't be able to get down from here until you let go."

With a squeak, Selina let go of the rope and Elijah pulled her to himself, holding her tightly as they stood on the billboard ledge. Selina was breathing hard and in tears.

"What would make you do something like this?" Elijah asked her. "I mean, I appreciate it, but I've never seen you look so scared!"

Selina put her cheek on his shoulder. "I just wanted to let you know that there was no one I loved more than you," she said. "And I figured it would take a pretty big gesture to make you realize I didn't have any imaginary lovers or anything."

Elijah nodded. "Well, about that...I'm sorry. I should have believed you, but I didn't, because I love you too and was scared to death of losing you. I was stupid."

"Yes, you were," Selina said. "And I accept your apology." She paused. "And if I _ever_ mention anything about the two of us needing more excitement, remind me of this moment and I'll take it back immediately." Then she looked up at him. "Can we get down now, please?"

By the time they were back on the ground, Selina had calmed down. "Are you all right now?" Elijah asked.

"I will be," she nodded. "Just a minute." He let her go and she went to throw up in a nearby bush, then came back. "I'm all right now," she said.

"Are you certain?" He asked. She nodded and they got in his car and drove in the direction of home.

"So where's Gregory?" Selina asked. "Your mother's?"

Elijah nodded. "I can do a lot of things, but watching him and saving you at the same time isn't one of them. What happened back there? Why did you throw up in that bush?"

"Oh, I don't know," Selina shrugged. "Dizziness, vertigo, fear, who knows? But the important thing is, I'm better now."

They drove along for awhile, and then Elijah felt Selina slowly bringing her hand up his thigh. "Pull over on the shoulder," she said. "I want to thank you for rescuing me."

"Now?" Elijah asked. "In the car?"

She nodded. "Yeah. And if anyone comes to hassle us, we can make them go away!"

"We're almost home," he said. "Can't you wait? It will be much more comfortable."

"No," Selina said. "I can't." She reached over and gave the wheel a turn, sending the car spinning into the grass until it came to a sudden halt. "That's better," she said. "Now let's go to the back seat."

"You aren't going to give up on this, are you?" He asked.

She shook her head and they both climbed into the backseat and made out for awhile. When they were finished, their clothes were askew, but on. Elijah started the car again and drove the rest of the way home, where they stripped off their clothes in the doorway and spent the rest of the night making love on the living room floor.

* * *

The next morning, Elijah woke up to the sound of a scream and a thud. He saw that he was alone in the living room. He put his shorts on and checked the rooms near the living room for the source of the noise. When he opened the bathroom door, he felt himself go cold. Selina was sprawled seemingly unconscious on the bathroom floor. He got down on his knees and lightly slapped her cheeks.

"Wake up!" he said. "Please wake up!"

Selina's eyes slowly opened. "What happened?" She asked. "Why am I on the floor?"

"I don't know," Elijah said. "I was hoping you could tell _me_ that."


	6. Matchmaker, Matchmaker

"I don't know what I can tell you," Selina said as she slowly sat up with Elijah's supporting hand on her back. "I just came in here because I needed to use the bathroom and then I sorta felt myself get dizzy and then I felt myself fall and I screamed and next thing you know, here you are asking me why I'm on the floor."

"Was this the same dizziness you had when we got you away from the billboard?" Elijah asked. "Do you feel sick?"

"Kind of," Selina said. "Not a lot, but some."

Elijah nodded. "Well, let's get you into bed then." He noticed she'd put on a nightgown as he picked her up and put her in bed. "That's good," he said. "We wouldn't want you to be cold." He saw that she was still barefoot and went to get some socks to put on her.

"I probably don't need to do a whole lot of thinking to figure out what's going on with me," Selina said, her voice tired. "I knew it would happen some time."

"You sound like it's a bad thing," Elijah said.

"In general it's not," Selina said. "I just don't like the body aches and the being sick and tired all the time. That's what I don't like."

"Well, try and go back to sleep," Elijah said. "It'll do you good." He walked over to the door and put his hand on the knob.

"Where are you going?" Selina asked. "Are you just gonna leave me in here? Come and stay with me."

Elijah turned and walked back to bed, climbing in beside her while she snuggled against him. "I like this better," she said, grinning. "Much better."

They stayed like that for a little while, but their bliss was eventually interrupted by a harsh knock on the bedroom door. "Elijah!" Mikael called. "Are you in there?"

"Yes, Father," Elijah called. "Would you like to come in?"

Just then, Mikael forced the door open and he and Amelia strode in, eyeing Selina and Elijah critically. "Not even morning anymore and still in bed?" Amelia asked. "Tsk, tsk."

"Selina's not feeling well and she wanted me to stay with her," Elijah said. "It's a special case, not our normal behavior."

"How could you not be feeling well?" Amelia asked Selina. "We don't get sick!"

"If we're pregnant we do," Selina said quietly, locking eyes with her mother. "This is the sixth time and the seventh baby. I think I should know the drill by now."

Amelia blinked, stepping back a little. "What?" She asked. "Are you serious? You're expecting another child?"

"We don't know for certain yet because I haven't seen a doctor, but usually, feeling like this does eventually lead to me finding out I'm pregnant," Selina said.

A grin spread over Amelia's face. "Well, in that case, you can stay in bed, dear. You need your rest. I will stay here and watch over you while Elijah and his father do whatever manly things they do."

This made Selina sit up. "Thank you, Mother, but that's not necessary. I don't need you to care for me. I can care for myself."

"Are you certain?" Amelia asked, looking her over. "You don't look particularly well."

But Selina pushed the covers aside and got out of bed. "I feel _fine_," she said, just as she stumbled and grabbed hold of the bedstead to keep from falling. "_Really_."

Amelia rolled her eyes at Mikael. "She's always done this," she said. "Ever since Selina was a little girl, she's never let anyone help her with anything. She always insists on doing everthing herself."

Selina glared. "Lots of people nowadays would find that an admirable quality."

Amelia nodded and sat down on the bed, moving her white lace skirt back into place so that it covered her legs. "It _could be_," she admitted. "But refusing help when you clearly need it is just pure stubbornness. Now, having gone through this myself, I suggest we put all bad feelings between us aside for the moment and you let me help you get through this."

Selina was hesitant. "What do you think?" She asked Elijah.

"I would take her up on the offer," Elijah said. "At least if you take your mother up on it, then I'll finally have a good reason to let _my_ mother down gently."

Mikael smirked. "So Elissavetta is trying to get herself involved in this, is she?"

Selina nodded. "Yes, she is. And she doesn't have to try anymore. I'm actually used to her suffocating ways by now, and she's usually more than willing to babysit, even at the last minute."

Mikael's lips became a thin line and he looked at Elijah. "I don't think I want Gregory spending any more time with your mother," he said. "She's a bad influence."

"Father, with all due respect, she and Gregory have bonded. It would be difficult for them both if I told her that she couldn't see him anymore," Elijah said. "Please be reasonable."

"You don't think I'm being reasonable?" Mikael asked. "Doesn't it worry you that that lover of hers will have a bad effect on Gregory?"

Elijah paused, uncertainty on his face.

"You think so, don't you, son?" Mikael pressed.

"Stop putting ideas into his head!" Selina burst out. "Gregory is _fine._ Don't be starting trouble for no reason!"

Mikael turned on her. "So was it _your_ idea to send my grandson to Elissavetta's and expose him to her bad influences? I should have known."

"Just a minute!" Amelia said. He turned on her, his eyes flashing. "What?" he asked. "Amelia, do you have something you'd like to say?"

Amelia shrunk back, looking afraid, but once she'd backed up against the wall, she took a deep breath and continued speaking. "I admit, over the years, my daughter has done a lot of things that have caused me to worry. She drank, she smoked, she murdered, she married men that I would_ not _have approved of myself, but I know in my heart that she would _never_ knowingly endanger any of her children. Maybe we should let them handle this amongst themselves and not get involved until we actually _see _a problem."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as soon as Amelia had said her piece. Selina moved into a defensive position, keeping her eyes on Mikael's twitching hands in case he moved to hit her mother. Amelia sunk down to the floor, her head in her hands.

Finally, Elijah cleared his throat. "I think we should all step away from each other for a moment, take some deep breaths and calm down. Gregory and his upbringing are very senstive issues for all of us, but I'm sure we all want what's best for him, don't we?"

Selina, Amelia and Mikael all nodded.

"Well, I should hope so," Elijah said curtly. "Father, Amelia, I thank you for your concern, but I feel that Gregory is fine where he is and I will continue sending him to Mother's for the time being. However, if a problem arises, rest assured that it will be remedied immediately and we will look elsewhere for someone to care for him. We will also make sure that you and Amelia get equal time with him, since he is as much your grandson as he is Mother's. Is that acceptable?"

"No," Mikael said flatly.

"Father, we can go on like this for as long as you'd like, but you know how it's going to end up," Elijah said. "It would be easier for all of us if you just agreed to let Selina and me handle things right now, before words are exchanged and things become extremely unpleasant."

"All right," Mikael grumbled. "I suppose you will do your best to take care of Gregory, but he _will_ go to a good school. A university. Some place well-known and particular about who they let in. We can't let his intelligence be wasted, can we?"

"Of course not, Father," Elijah said.

"Now that we've got that all settled, could you both leave?" Selina asked her mother. "I'm tired and I want to sleep."

"Can I get you some tea?" Amelia asked. "Or a sandwich? Maybe some warm milk?"

"No!" Selina said forcefully, shaking her head. "I don't want a drink, I don't want food, I just want _sleep_! I don't know how much clearer I can make myself. Everyone except Elijah, _please_ go away!"

"Well, all right," Amelia said, her eyes wide. "You don't have to yell." She looked at Mikael. "Maybe it would be best if we went," she said. Then, as she was leaving the room, she paused at the door and gave Selina a long look. "Feel better, darling," she said.

Once they were gone, Elijah put Selina in bed again and tucked her in. He kissed her cheek and said, "Will you be all right by yourself? I think it's about time I went and picked Gregory up from Mother's."

Selina sighed. "Oh, all right," she said. "If you have to pick up Gregory, then I _guess_ I can be by myself for awhile. But it won't be interesting, let me tell you."

"Good," Elijah said. "Maybe then you'll get bored and get the sleep you wanted so badly."

"I'm actually not that tired," Selina said. "I only said I was as a way to get our parents out of here without sounding rude."

Elijah grinned and ran his fingers through her hair. "Well, aren't you clever?" He asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, looking proud. "I am."

"Well, I'm still going to pick up Gregory," he said. "I won't tell you you have to stay in bed, but promise me that if you feel sick or get tired, you'll come back in here immediately."

"I will," Selina nodded. "I promise."

Elijah's fingers trailed out of Selina's dark hair and then he turned away from her and began walking toward the door. "See you in a little while," he said. "With Gregory."

Once he was gone, Selina got out of bed and went to grab her purse. She had to go and visit her father, just to see how he was. She hoped he'd been doing all right since he and her mother had split up. She dug around in her purse for her car keys and then got into her car and drove away.

* * *

She didn't know where exactly her father lived now, but she'd start at his last known location. It took awhile, but eventually, she found herself back and Mystic Falls and staring at her parents' old house. She parked in the driveway and slowly walked to the door, knocking. "Daddy?" She called. "Are you in there?" But she was met with silence. No one came to the door. She sighed and turned away, ready to go back to her car when she heard a squeak. She turned around and saw her father standing on the other side of the door, just inside the house, his expression grim, his hair tousled, his face covered by a growth of beard.

"Selina?" He said, his voice hoarse. "What do you want?" She came toward the door and he opened it a little wider. She got inside and saw that he was wearing gray sweatpants, a white undershirt, and he was barefoot.

"Daddy, what have you done to yourself?" She asked. "You don't look ready to receive company. I should have called first. I'm sorry." She turned to go and he put a hand on her shoulder. "No!" he said, his eyes brightening now. "Don't leave, please! We need to sit and talk. I feel like it's been forever since I've seen you. Please sit down and tell me how your life has been going."

Selina took a seat on the sofa. "I've been all right," she said. "What about you? How have you been since Mama's been gone?"

"A lot better than I should be," Matthew Warren admitted. "Would you think me a horrible person if I told you I didn't really miss her all that much?"

"You _don't_?" Selina asked in surprise. This wasn't the reaction she'd expected at all. "_Why_?"

"Now, wait a minute!" Matthew said. "Just hear me out before you start panicking. If you think about it, your mother hasn't really been a big part of my life for awhile now. The last time we were really close was when we were both alive."

"But you turned her!" Selina said. "If you didn't feel close to her, why did you turn her?"

"When I found her in 1864," he said, "She was a wreck. She'd been drinking, she looked sick, I just...I couldn't let her die. But it was only after we'd been together again for awhile that I realized how much she'd changed. She wasn't the woman I'd fallen in love with anymore. She was angry, bitter, and controlling. But I bet you knew about that."

"Yep," Selina nodded. "Story of my life. We got along until Charlotte died in the horse riding accident in '52 (1852, of course), and then Mama started wanting me to wear flouncy pastel dresses and play tea party and do a bunch of other stupid things that she'd _never_ made me do before that. Before, she'd been perfectly happy to let me run around in the dirt with Damon and Stefan, but after their mother died...it was like part of Mama died too. That and around the same time, I almost activated my werewolf gene and the near miss scared the hell out of her. That might have something to do with her iron grip on me as well."

"I suppose we should feel _some_ sympathy for your mother," Matthew said. "She's been through a lot in her life without someone there to help her through it."

"And she's getting better, I think," Selina admitted. "When she found out I was pregnant, she offered to make me food and tea and stuff and told me she hoped I would feel better from my morning sickness soon. That was nice."

Matthew's eyes widened. "You're _pregnant_? Since when?"

"Well, we don't know for sure yet, but with the way I'm feeling now, it can't be anything else. I don't throw up for any other reason."

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Matthew asked. "Do you feel sick right now?"

Selina shook her head. "I'm fine now. Thanks for asking."

"So this will be your what? Second child? I remember we met that son of yours, Adrian."

"This will be my seventh, actually," Selina said. "I had two with Damon, they are Joshua and Sam, three with Nicky, they're Adrian, Roxie and Lucy, and then two with my current husband Elijah: Gregory and then the one that's coming."

"You have a daughter named Lucy?" Matthew asked. "You didn't name her after Doctor Stensrund's daughter, did you?"

Selina scoffed. "Why would I name my daughter after the woman who turned you into a vampire and then tried to corrupt me and have me killed?" Selina asked. "I was thinking of Lucy Westerna from _Dracula._" She paused. "You're not still in love with Lucy Stensrund, are you?"

Matthew shook his head. "Of course not! The idea of being in love is not something that has crossed my mind for quite a while now. I've spent most of my existence in the company of other males or by myself. There haven't really been any women in the picture except for your mother."

"Just to be clear, you do still _like_ women, right?" Selina asked.

"Of course!" Matthew said, looking at her in shock. "For heaven's sake, Selina!"

"Would you be interested in meeting one?" Selina asked. "Not necessarily for a romance, but just for company? And if it later evolves into something deeper, that would be nice too?"

Matthew looked at her suspiciously. "Who is she?" He asked. "If she's anything like your mother, I'm not interested."

"She's _nothing_ like Mother," Selina assured him. "She's very hip, she owns a bar, and she's delivered two of my children. And did I mention she's the witch who created werewolves?"

"Is she a good witch?" Matthew asked. "Or a bad witch?"

"Good," Selina said. "Her twin sister was the bad one."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to meet her at least," Matthew said. "Let me get cleaned up and dressed so I look presentable and then we'll go."

* * *

Selina led Matthew into the bar and he was more than a little shocked when a beautiful, dark eyed brunette took one look at her, bounded over the bar and ran towards them. "Oh, my god!" She exclaimed, hugging Selina. "You're pregnant! Did you come to tell me?"

"I wanted to know for sure," Selina nodded. "And I brought my father too. Remember how I told you about him? Daddy, this is Enid. She owns the place. Enid, this is my father, Matthew Warren."

Enid grinned. "Well, aren't you handsome? Come and sit down. Can I get you a drink?"

After a few seconds, Matthew grinned back. "Sure," he said. "Why not?" He followed Enid over to the bar and ordered a beer, and then as he sat drinking it, she said, "Selina told me you're a vampire. Is that true?"

Matthew nodded. "I got turned after I caught typhoid fighting in the Mexican-American war. My doctor and nurse were both vampires and the nurse took a liking to me, so she turned me to save my life."

"Well, isn't that sweet?" Enid asked. "Was she pretty?"

Matthew shrugged. "She must've been. I don't really remember."

"That's all right," Enid said. She stared at him. "You know, I never would have taken you for Selina's father."

"Let me guess," Matthew said, his eyes twinkling. "I'm much too young and handsome."

"That and you don't look too much alike," Enid said.

Matthew nodded. "She looks more like her mother. But thank god she doesn't act like her too."

"Was she a bit much sometimes?" Enid asked. "Is that why you ended things?"

He nodded. "Just a little bit."

"Sorry," Enid said. "That's kind of my fault. I made female werewolves incredibly possessive. I made them feel the way I felt when I found my boyfriends cheating on me, because men always seemed to."

"Now I don't understand that," Matthew said. "Excuse me if I seem forward, but it is inconceivable to me that a man would be unfaithful to a woman like you. They must've all been fools."

Enid flushed a little. "Well, thank you," she said. "Thank you very much." Then she noticed Selina. "I'm sorry, hon," she said. "I completely forgot about you. Can I get you an orange juice or something?"

"No, thanks," Selina said. "I think I'll leave the two of you alone. Have a good time."

* * *

"Where did _you_ go?" Elijah asked when Selina opened the door and he was standing just inside.

She took a deep breath. "Wow," she said. "You scared the crap out of me!" She paused. "Didn't you read my note?"

"You didn't leave a note," Elijah said. "So where did you go?"

"I went to see my father," Selina said. "To check up on him, you know? He seems to be coping well with Mama being gone."

"Of course he is," Elijah said. "He's the one who ended things between them. So you went to see your father and he's doing well. Did you do anything else?"

Selina gave him a look.

"What?" He asked. "I only ask because I'm interested and I care. Not because I want to control every aspect of your life."

"Well, after Daddy and I chatted a bit, I took him down to Enid's and he and Enid hit it off real well. And she told me I'm definitely pregnant. What about you? Is your mother's house still in one piece? You didn't pick fights with anyone, did you?"

"No," Elijah said. "Fortunately Mother was the only one home. I told her what Father said when he and Amelia stopped by, and she said that Ronan does his best to stay out of the way when Gregory visits. Apparently, he feels the same way about Father that Father does about him and doesn't want to do anything he might regret later on."

"Your father should have nothing to worry about, then," Selina said and sat down in her chair. Elijah left the room and came back, plunking a couple of envelopes in Selina's lap. "Letters from Lucy and Sam," he said. "I thought you'd want to look at them."

Selina opened each letter and read it over. "These are not exactly current," she said. "I wonder what they're doing now?"

* * *

"So, where are we off to next?" Sam asked Corrie. "Somewhere nice?"

"Greece," Corrie said shortly. "I'm not looking forward to it."

"Why not?" Sam asked. "I heard Greece was nice."

Corrie nodded. "It is, for most people. But for me, it's a nightmare. I was born there and spent my whole life trying to get away."

"Bad parents?" Sam asked. "Cause I totally understand that." He paused. "Well, my mom is all right. But my dad..." he shuddered.

"My dad was bad too," Corrie said. "He slept around a lot. Sometimes with my half-sisters. How sick is that?"

"You never actually walked in on them doing it, did you?" Sam asked. "I did."

Corrie turned. "You saw your dad having sex with your half sister? Ouch."

Sam shook his head. "No, I just saw the aftermath. But it was enough to put two and two together."

"Did your father let you be taken away from your mother and sent to live somewhere that made you miserable?" Corrie asked.

"Not exactly," Sam said. "See, Mom wanted to have me and my sister grow up together, but we have two different dads and my dad didn't want to live without me, so he spirited me away and I hardly ever saw my mom after that. I mean, she'd come and see me occasionally, but it wasn't the same."

Corrie smiled and took his hand. "You and I have a lot in common, don't we, Sam?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, we do."

"I would love to hear more about your family," she said.

"I don't know if you really do," he shook his head. "They're pretty crazy."

Corrie grinned. "Try me."

"My parents, they're vampires," he said. "Mom had my older brother before she turned, so he's almost a century older than me. He's a ghost now. He sticks around sometimes and helps me out. See? Crazy, right?"

She shrugged. "No crazier than my story. My mother is Demeter, goddess of the harvest. In Rome, they called her Ceres. My father is Zeus or Jupiter, the king of the gods. And me, my name is Persephone, that or Proserpina. My uncle Hades fell in love with me and dragged me down to the underworld to make me his queen. My mom was so distressed when Dad told her I could never come back that all the crops in the world withered and died. People starved until finally, Daddy agreed to let me go back to my mother on the condition that I hadn't eaten anything while I was in the Underworld."

"And had you?" Sam asked.

"Six pomegranate seeds," she said. "I was hungry and my uncle tricked me. Daddy must've known it was a trick, so he told Mother that I had to spend six months in the underworld with my uncle, but I was allowed to spend six months with her, too."

"Oh, bummer," Sam said. "That really sucks! But what are you doing _here_?"

"I liked your music," she said. "You're just like Orpheus. His voice was so wonderful that when he sang, even the birds stopped singing so they could listen to him."

"Wow," Sam said. "Thank you for the compliment."

She grinned. "No problem. But enough about me. I'll tell you more about my uncle eventually, but it can wait. Any more members of your family I should know about?"

"Well," Sam said, "The half-sister who slept with my father? Her name is Lucy and she's an artist. She's working on a mural for some opera house in Paris. She hasn't told me much about how it's going. I hope she's enjoying herself as much as I am."

* * *

Lucy stumbled into her bedroom and cursed as she stubbed her toe on the edge of one of her easels and it went crashing to the ground. She _knew_ she shouldn't have left the lights off, but she'd just thought it would have been easier to go to bed without having to turn the lights on and off again.

Taking a deep breath, she strode over to the bed, kicking aside every dark shape that was on the floor ahead of her and collapsed in a heap on her mattress. She was too tired to even think about undressing. Monsieur Matthieu had fussed at her about every single thing on the mural. He'd actually had the _nerve _to suggest that she sketch out exactly what she was going to paint for him, and when she'd done that, he'd spit on the sketches and set them on fire! It had taken all her willpower not to tear out his throat and suck him dry.

Finally, she'd gotten the concept just right and every time she'd painted a section, someone, or something had made it disappear.

At her lunch break, she'd tracked down Pierre. "Tell me something," she'd said. "Is this place haunted?"

Pierre had stared at her incredulously for a moment and then he'd burst out laughing. "A phantom in an opera house," he'd said with a twinkle in his eye. "Just because M. Leroux's opera house had a phantom, that doesn't mean all of them do."

"But my work on the mural keeps disappearing!" she'd explained. "Whole sections of very hard work just going poof into thin air."

He'd shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, but it was definitely _not_ a ghost."

With that information, she'd spent the rest of the day painting and repainting one section of the mural over and over and over again. It was a section that had flowers in it and Monsieur Matthieu had insisted that they be accurate down to the slightest detail, so it was a pain in the butt to have to do those damn flowers over and over again.

Groaning, she hit her pillow. She'd dealt with enough shit today. Now, all she wanted was to dream of something nice...

_As she drifted off, she heard a knock on her bedroom door. Groaning, she got up and walked across the room. "If this isn't an emergency, I will kill whoever is on the other side of this door. I was just about to go to sleep!" She opened the door and gasped. Damon was standing on the other side with flowers._

_"Oh, my god, it's you," she gasped. "What are you doing here?"_

_He grinned. "I was hoping to make a nice surprise for you, but now that you've put the threat of death on the table, I'll go."_

_Shaking her head, she pulled him inside and kissed him, the flowers dropping from his hand onto the floor. "No, no," she said. "Stay, please." She ran her fingers through his hair as he kissed down her neck. "All right," he said. "I'll stay."_

_She moaned as he pulled her shirt over her head and carried her over to her bed. He put her down on the mattress and then loomed over her with a wicked grin on his lips. "I thought you were tired," he said._

_She shook her head. "Not anymore." She reached up and unbuttoned his shirt, running her fingers down his chest. As they neared the button on his pants, she heard him gasp. She grinned. "Do you want me to stop?"_

_"No," he said, panting. "No, don't stop." She unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, running her fingers lightly over him._

_He reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. "I've missed you," he said. "So much."_

_"Really?" She asked. "I've really missed _you_! I think of you every night."_

_His fingers trailed out of her hair as he kissed her one more time and then got up on his knees, hooking his fingers under the waistband of her pink pajama shorts. "I want you out of these," he said._

_She whimpered and nodded. "I want me out of them too." He started to pull them down and she wriggled out of them, followed by her panties. Now, all their clothes were on the floor and they were both naked. They gave each other a few deep, lingering kisses, and then Lucy let out a shriek as he swept her into his arms and they were one at last._

* Italics= A dream sequence


	7. Elizabeth

"You seem like you're in a good mood, Enid," Roxie remarked. "What brought this on?"

Enid did a slight pirouette as she reached up to put one of the glasses in the cupboard. "A few things," she said. "I met a new guy, your mother is pregnant..."

Roxie's eyes widened. "You just stop right there! Mom can't be pregnant. _I'm_ pregnant!"

"You can both be pregnant at the same time. Although frankly, you're gonna have more to brag about than she is," Enid assured her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roxie asked.

"You'll find out," Enid said. "Why don't you go tell her over your lunch break. Unless of course you've already told her?"

"Well, no," Roxie said. "I told my dad and he didn't react normally, so I thought I'd wait to tell my mom."

"Now is as good a time as any," Enid said. She watched Roxie expectantly. "Fine," Roxie said after a moment. "Fine, I'll go." Giving Enid a dirty look, she left the bar, got in her car and drove to her mother and Uncle Elijah's house, where she was met at the door by an overly eager small child.

"Who are you?" She asked him. "Stop pawing at me!" She nudged him off her and his lip began to tremble.

"Sorry about that," her uncle said as he appeared and picked the little boy up. "Hello, Roxanne. This is Gregory. Your mother coddles him much more than she should, so he can be a bit clingy at times."

"Who _is _he?" Roxie asked.

"Your half brother," Elijah said, smirking.

"He doesn't look very old," Roxie observed. "Is he? And stop referring to him as my brother. He is _not _my brother because you and Mom aren't..." She trailed off with an expression of disgust, gesticulating wildly.

Elijah shook his head. "No, he's not very old. Just over a year. And have you heard that your mother is pregnant again?"

"And yet Mom is pregnant again," Roxie said flatly. "Or at least that's what Enid told me over at the bar. Is that true?"

Just then, the back door opened. "Hello?" Selina called. "I'm back." She had just finished some things at the bakery.

Elijah grinned. "Well, why don't you ask her?" He said. "She's here now."

Roxie walked to the the back door and stood staring at her mother with her hands on her hips. "Are you pregnant?" She asked.

"Well, yes," Selina nodded. "You came all the way over here to ask me that? I wouldn't think you'd go to all the trouble."

"I came here to tell you you have lousy timing because I'm pregnant too!" Roxie said.

Selina started violently. "What? What did you say? Roxanne, did you just say you're pregnant? For real this time?" She collapsed into a chair. "Oh, my god."

"Why does everyone react like that?" Roxie asked, stomping her foot.

"Well, you guess," Selina told her. "You're not exactly the most motherly type."

"Neither were you at one point," Roxie said. "Or have you forgotten about the craziness that was Mary Anne?"

Selina shook her head wearily. "I don't think I'll ever be able to forget about Mary Anne. But you just knew that wasn't gonna end well. She was the daughter of a guy who cheated on me and your father didn't even ask before he decided we'd take her in. Maybe if he'd discussed it with me first, it would have been easier to be nicer to her."

"Oh, I don't think so," Roxie said. "I think she would have still been a pain in the ass, prior warning or no. Some people just are."

"So, tell me why," Selina said after a moment.

"What do you mean 'why'?" Roxie asked. "Why what?"

"Why get pregnant?" Selina asked. "Whose idea was it?"

"Vince came up with the idea and I said I'd give it a shot," Roxie said.

"So it was a mutual decision?" Selina asked. "You didn't just agree with him, did you? Because remember, it's not him that's going to have to deal with the majority of the consequences, it's you."

"He'll have to deal with them secondhand," Roxie said. "He'll be the one that has to listen to me cry and scream and complain and stuff. That's a consequence, right?"

"In a way, I guess it is," Selina said thoughtfully. "So, Vince wanted to have a kid, you said you'd give it a try...and?"

"And I'm kind of scared," Roxie admitted. "What if I screw up?"

"Here's a secret," Selina said. "No one does a perfect job raising kids. Sooner or later, you do something that makes you think 'My god, that will make them have to talk to a therapist years from now,' but most of the time, they get over whatever it is eventually and come out well-adjusted in spite of it. Take your brother Adrian for instance: How many times do you think he walked in on your father and me as a child?"

"A lot?" Roxie guessed.

"That's right," Selina nodded. "A lot. And look at him now. He grew up perfectly lovely in spite of that. And there were all the times he could have died _before_ he was born among other things. The point is, if he got through his childhood all right, then anybody can. Or you. Think about how _you_ grew up. You didn't exactly have a typical childhood, did you?"

Roxie shook her head. "No, I guess I didn't. Not that I blame _you_ for that, of course."

"I know you don't," Selina said. "It was between you and your dad and you did what you thought was best. Did I ever tell you that I've always really admired you for that?"

Roxie smiled, surprised. "Probably," she said. "I don't usually pay attention to anything you say, but maybe I should start." She reached for her mother's hand. "Thank you," she said.

"Yeah," Selina said ruefully. "Don't thank me too much. I haven't exactly been the best role model for you. You know why I'm having this kid at this point?"

"Why?" Roxie asked. "Did Uncle Elijah decide it for the two of you?"

"Of course not!" Selina said. "For god's sake, it's worse than that, even. My mom and his dad are a couple now, and being the traditional people they are, every time they come to visit, they're like 'when are you going to have another baby? The one you have is a year old already'." She sighed. "I just thought things would be easier if I had the next kid now. I know that's not healthy, but sometimes, you have to do things you wouldn't necessarily do normally if you want to keep the peace."

"And you want the kid, right?" Roxie asked.

"Well, of course I do!" Selina said. "I love kids! I'm just not used to having them so close together." She paused. "And don't forget about Sam."

"What about him?" Roxie asked. "Are you talking about the fact that technically he shouldn't exist?"

"He was a surprise, that's for sure," Selina said. "And raising him was a bit difficult, what with the fact Damon and I weren't actually together anymore when he was born, but we got through it, right? I guess I should thank Lenora someday for saving us a bunch of misery by making him and Lucy grow up so fast."

"Yeah," Roxie said. "And at least Sam was more mad at Damon in the end than he was at you for his less than perfect childhood."

"That's not really a win for me," Selina said. "I want him and Damon to get along. They're really all each other has. I try to support them both, but I can only stretch myself so thin before all I do is disappoint more than help. That is why I hope every day that something will come along to make them come back together on their own."

"But back to me," Roxie said. "So you think I'll do okay?"

"Well, do _you_ think you'll do okay?" Selina asked. "Are you willing to make the effort to be a good mother? Because it _does_ take effort. Especially if your kid happens to like her father more than you and makes a point to throw a tantrum every time you come near her."

"If that happens, I'll just have to dig my heels in and keep doing what I'm doing, won't I?" Roxie asked. "Because it's possible that underneath all the tantrums, she'll really want my attention, but being a baby, she won't be able to say so." Roxie kept her eyes on her mother as she said this. "You're not the only person I've had a hard time relating to in my life. After Dad went on his drunken, hybrid-making rampage at Enid's, I was scared of him for years. That's why I stayed away so long. And I know I could have told you, but I thought you'd tell him, so I didn't. I wish I had though."

Selina nodded and took Roxie in her arms. "I wish you had too," she said. "It would have saved you from feeling so alone."

"I was never entirely alone," Roxie said. "I had Vince."

Selina nodded. "You did and you do. I think you're very lucky to have him."

"Yeah," Roxie agreed. "And you know what else? I'm lucky to have you too."

"Well, thank you," Selina said. "Listen, you probably don't know this, but I bought a bakery and our grand opening is soon. You want to come? If you feel up to it, that is. Sometimes, morning sickness can be a real bitch."

"You bought a _bakery_?" Roxie asked, looking at her mother in amazement. "That's so _cool!_ Can I come and see it?"

"Sure," Selina said. "I have a few recipes I still need a taste tester for and Elijah doesn't like it when I give Gregory a lot of sugar." She rolled her eyes and looked hopefully at Roxie. "Would you be interested?"

"Well, yeah!" Roxie said. "What are we still standing here for? Let's go!"

* * *

Sam was sitting alone in the back of the bus thinking about Corrie. She was pretty, there was no doubt about that. And it had been nice to finally tell someone about his problems with his family who didn't think he was a total weirdo. But at the same time, there seemed to be something about her that was a little off. That story about her family, for starters. He smirked. Vampires and werewolves were one thing, but Greek gods? They definitely were _not_ real, so no matter what she said, she wasn't one. He sighed. "Just my luck," he whispered under his breath. "I get someone to like me and she turns out to be a looney. He looked up just in time to see Corrie bending over one of the instrument cases, struggling to get it closed. He grinned to himself. She might be crazy, but she was pretty too. Even so, was it okay for him to get involved with her? Or would things just end badly, with him wishing he'd never been with her in the first place? He needed advice. He reached for his phone and opened it, but who to call? He couldn't call his mom, Lucy would just laugh in his face if he asked her...that only left one person. His dad. He took a deep breath and dialed Damon's number.

Damon was just waking up when the phone began ringing very insistently. Groaning, he threw his pillow at it, but that didn't make it stop. Finally, he decided to get out of bed and pick his phone up off the floor. "Hello?" He grumbled. "Who is it? What do you want?"

"Dad?" said a voice he never thought he'd hear again. "It's me, Sam. Did I wake you? I'm sorry."

Damon was so shocked he almost dropped the phone. "Yeah, you did wake me," Damon said. "But it's probably time I got up anyway. What's the matter? Are you all right? How's Europe?"

"It's fine, I'm fine. But I'm having a problem," Sam said. "And I need your help. I didn't feel comfortable asking Mom about this."

"Sure," Damon said, sitting down on the bed. "What is it?"

"I met a woman and she's pretty and nice and I think she likes me, but I also think she's weird. And crazy."

"But you said she's hot, right?" Damon clarified.

"Well, yeah," Sam answered. "Duh."

"Here's something you should always remember," Damon told him. "Hot trumps weird every time. Trust me."

"Really?" Sam asked. "Because she thinks she's a goddess. Not a metaphorical one, which she is, but a _real_ one."

"Well, that's new," Damon said. "I've never heard that one before, and I have been with some crazy women, let me tell you."

Sam grinned. "I bet you have. So what should I do?"

"She hasn't, for example, threatened to kill you or started sending you dead chickens in the mail or anything like that, right?" Damon asked.

"Right," Sam said. "We just, you know, talked about our families and she brought up the goddess thing."

"Did you mention that you have werewolves and vampires in your family?" Damon asked.

"Of course not!" Sam said. "I didn't want her to think _I _was nuts!"

"Good," Damon said. "I think you should keep it that way, just to be safe. So, other than possibly certifiable, is she nice?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "She's the manager of our band. We're en route to Greece now. Oh, and before you ask and feel all awkward about it, no I haven't heard anything new from Lucy."

Damon grinned ruefully. "Well, thank you," he said. "She called me and told me about how she's doing that mural for the opera house. I hope it's going well."

"I looked up the place on the internet, and it said the place is _haunted!_" Sam said gleefully. "I wonder how many people died there?"

"Probably none," Damon said. "I bet they just made up that ghost story for publicity."

"True," Sam said. "But I think it would be cool if it actually _was_ haunted." He paused. "I gotta go, Dad. The guys are gesturing at me and it seems like the bus has stopped for some reason. It was nice talking to you."

"You too," Damon said. "It was a nice surprise for me. And I wouldn't mind if you called more often either. Lucy's not the only one I want to hear from."

"All right," Sam said. "I'll try and make time. Goodbye."

"Bye, Sam," Damon said. He heard the click of the receiver on the other side and then silence. He stood with the phone to his ear, clutching it tightly for a little while longer, then slowly put it back on the bedside table and went to get dressed, pleased with the realization that he and Sam had just had their first civil, even pleasant, conversation in a long time.

The morning of the bakery grand opening, disaster struck. Selina locked herself in the bathroom beginning at two a.m., overcome by morning sickness. By six, things had finally calmed down and she was able to move away from the toilet and drag herself back to bed. She fell asleep and didn't wake up until she felt Elijah gently shaking her.

"It's past ten," he said. "Abby called. She and her grandmother are wondering where you are. What should I tell them?"

Selina looked at him with half-focused eyes. "I can't go," she said. "I feel like hell. I'm tired, and nauseous and everything hurts!" She paused. "I bet I look like hell too!"

"I think you're being too hard on yourself," Elijah said. "You've had a bad night and you need to get your rest."

"Which is code for 'Yes, Selina, you _do_ look horrible, but I'm too gentlemanly to say so'," she grumbled and pulled the covers over herself. "I feel bad about leaving Abby and her grandmother alone, though. I feel like someone else should be there, at least for today." She looked at Elijah appealingly. "Would you be willing to take over for me? It'll be just this once, I _swear_."

Elijah looked at the pathetic picture she made, lying prostrate on the bed and moaning, and put a hand on her cheek. "Of course," he said. "I'd be glad to. I'll just go change into something that won't kill me to stain, go drop Gregory off at our parents' and then roll up my sleeves and put in a good day's work. You can give me restitution when you feel better," he grinned. She rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at him and he laughed and grabbed an old t-shirt and pair of jeans out of the dresser and went into the closet to change into them, then left for the bakery.

* * *

When he walked in the door, he was, of course, greeted by Abby, who had to push her way through an sea of people to meet him. "There you are!" She said. "I was hoping you'd show up. Where's Selina?"

"She's not feeling well today, so I came instead. I hope your grandmother will be all right with that," Elijah said.

Abby grinned. "Of course she will," she said. "I know _I_ am. I'm so sorry about Selina, though. I hope she gets better soon. But until then, it will just be the three of us running this place."

Elijah slowly backed away from Abby and ran for the kitchens. "I'm here, Edith!" He said as he burst through the kitchen doors. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

The older lady turned. "Well, hello, there!" She said pleasantly. "Why are you breathing so hard? Did you run all the way here?"

Elijah paused, closed his eyes, and trid to calm his breathing. "Well, I got here as fast as I could," he said. "And it's good I did too, I suppose. The place is full! Selina will be glad to hear that."

"What's happened to her?" Edith asked. "Nothing serious, I hope."

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Nothing serious. She's pregnant and not feeling well today."

"Well, congratulations and I'm sorry to hear that," Edith replied. "I hope she'll be back on her feet soon."

Elijah nodded. "Oh, I have no doubt she will be. You can't keep her down for long. It's one of her defining characteristics."

Edith put the finishing touches on the pink frosting of a batch of chocolate cupcakes, then handed them to him. "These are seventy-five cents per cupcake," she said. "Make sure people give you their money before they take one. It's a bit of a mob scene out there, so it might be difficult. Abby will be glad to help you, I'm sure."

"Oh, goody," Elijah said under his breath. He didn't relish being dependent on Abby, although he was sure it would make her day. He brought the cupcakes out of the kitchen and put them on the counter. "So what do we do now?" Elijah asked Abby. He had to shout to be heard over the pulsing rock music and chatter of the customers, who were packed tightly together in a room that was nearly at full capacity.

"How about this?" Abby yelled back. "You take the money and I'll give out the goods."

"All right!" Elijah said, and then immediately regretted the decision. As soon as he appeared, it was as if every woman in the place ran toward him yelling and screaming and pulling at his shirt and his hair. Soon, his shirt had been torn from his body and lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, and women were waving dollar bills in the air as Abby gleefully threw cupcakes and other baked goods into the crowd. Some women even tried to put dollar bills in the waist band of Elijah's jeans, but he managed to move out of the way before that happened.

Eventually, he managed to escape and hide out in the kitchen.

"Well, what happened to you?" Edith asked him with a grin. "Are you all right?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm really not," Elijah said. "It's bedlam out there. Complete and utter bedlam."

"It is, isn't it?" Edith said. "I never had a day like this. Then again, I never really made the effort to be hip. That probably helped draw the kids in." She looked at Elijah sympathetically. "If it makes you feel any better, you can spend the rest of the day in here with me. Well, me and my friend Anne. She told me she'd stop by to check the place out some time today."

"Well, that's nice," Elijah said. "I hope she enjoys herself and that she's very hale and hardy. She'll have to be to not get trampled by the crowd out there."

* * *

Just after one in the afternoon, Elijah heard the kitchen door open and Edith said, "Here's Elizabeth, Elijah." Elijah looked up and put an apron on to cover himself up, walking in the direction of Edith's voice. But when he looked up and saw the woman who was standing with her, he froze. "Oh, my god," he whispered.

"Hello," Elizabeth said to him. She had big blue eyes and long, snow white hair which she had put up in a bun. "How are you?"

"Fine," Elijah said. "And you?"

Anne grinned. "Wonderful. Your wife has quite the business here. It _is_ your wife who runs this place, right?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "But she's not feeling well today so I'm taking her place."

"How sweet," Elizabeth said. And once Edith had gone to wipe down the empty tables after the initial crowd thinned, Elizabeth whispered, "You always were a considerate person, Elijah. At least until you left me, that is."

"I _had_ to!" Elijah whispered back. "You wouldn't have understood at all. And I couldn't drag you into it. I loved you too much to do that to you."

But Elizabeth's expression was cold. "So help me understand," she said. "Tell me what you are. How is it that I've grown old and you still look the same as you did the day I met you?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said. "It would be safer for you if you just forgot all about me and lived your life and died."

"Your current wife, does she know?" Elizabeth asked. "Or are you going to string her along, lie to her, and abandon her too, like you abandoned me?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Selina is different. You have to understand. You and I could never have lasted. We're too different. Selina and I, we're the same. I don't have to worry about her. To her, the damage has already been done."

"What damage?" Elizabeth demanded. "Tell me the truth! What are you?"

"I'm a vampire," Elijah said through his teeth. "One of the oldest vampires in existence. That's why you're old and I'm not. It's a hard life. And you deserved better and better than me, so I left you for your own good. And you have a family, didn't you?"

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded. "I do."

"And so do I," Elijah said. "I've married Selina and we have a son who's just a year old and another one on the way, who I actually hope is a girl, but we'll find out for certain in a couple of months."

"I don't believe you," Elizabeth said. "You ripped my heart from my body and now you're just standing there, obliviously talking about another woman! You're not even sorry, are you?"

"I _am_ sorry that things had to end between us the way they did, but it was really for the best," Elijah said. "Elizabeth, can't you see that?"

"Never!" Elizabeth shook her head, her hair flying around wildly. "And you'll be sorry. I'll make you sorry. I promise!" And with that, she strode from the kitchen, leaving Elijah to stand in stunned silence.

* * *

They closed the bakery around five and Elijah, tired, bruised, aching and covered in cupcake frosting from his hair to his jeans, drove home. He parked the car in the garage, pulled himself up the steps and nearly collapsed inside the front door. He just wanted to soak and go to sleep. He didn't care how early it was. He found a note from Selina on the fridge: F_elt better so I went to pick up Gregory. He's playing in his room. I'm in our bathroom. I want to say thank you for covering for me today._

Suddenly feeling more awake, Elijah sprinted to their bedroom and opened the bathroom door. Selina was sitting in their bathtub. When she saw him, she arose from the water, her body dropping wet, naked and covered with bubbles. "Well, there's my hero," she said. "You look like you could use a bath."

"Yes," Elijah said, his train of thought suddenly disappearing as she came toward him. "Do you need help getting out of your pants?" She asked, an eyebrow raised and a wicked grin curving her lips.

Elijah eased her against the bathroom wall and kissed her deeply, his hands roaming over her body. "Yes," he said, breathing hard, his eyes wide. "Please help me." Selina removed his pants and then got into the tub, watching with a wide grin as he climbed in after her.

"I have to thank you for taking over for me today," Selina said as she scrubbed Elijah with a loofah. "To tell you the truth, I was a bit reluctant to ask you."

"Why?" Elijah asked. "You know I'd do anything for you."

Selina grinned and nodded, her face flushing faintly pink. "I know that. It's just that...I remember the look on your face when Anna and I tried to start that dog breeding business years and years ago. We asked you for help then and you yelled at us!"

"Well, that was different!" Elijah told her. "You and Anna got all those dogs, then you got bored when no one would buy them, so you came over and set them loose in my house! I had every right to be angry then. Now, you seem fully committed to making this bakery a success and I want to do everything I can to help you. It's not your fault you were ill the day of the grand opening. You're pregnant. It's natural that you should feel ill from time to time."

"Now we just have one problem," Selina said.

"What's that?" He asked.

She grinned as she massaged shampoo into his scalp. "You may have to come work for me all the time. It would save me from having to disappoint women who show up and ask me, 'Where's the hunk who was giving us our cupcakes on opening day?'"

Elijah laughed. "They wouldn't do that! Well, except for Abby. She might."

"Did she make you uncomfortable?" Selina asked. "I'm sorry."

Elijah shrugged. "Between her and Elizabeth, I didn't have a moment's peace."

"Who's Elizabeth?" Selina asked.

Elijah sighed and looked Selina straight in the eye. "I won't lie to you," he said. "She's my ex-fiancee. And she's very angry with me right now."


	8. Surprises

Elijah flinched as he finished speaking. Selina slowly trailed her lather-covered fingers out of his hair. "What?" She asked.

"I have an ex-fiancee," Elijah repeated. "Her name is Elizabeth and she just happens to be friends with Edith. She came by the bakery and was as surprised to see me as I was to see her."

"You said she was angry with you," Selina said. "Why would that be?"

"Well, were you mad at Aleksandr for leaving you?" Elijah asked.

Selina nodded. "Of course I was! He didn't even leave me a note explaining why he had left!"

"Well, now you know how Elizabeth feels," Elijah said. "Now, can we talk about something else, please?"

"Just one question," Selina said. "Were you planning on telling me about Elizabeth? Ever? I'm not mad at you about having an ex-fiancee. I mean, with _my_ relationship track record, me being mad at you about about having past relationships would make me an awful hypocrite, wouldn't it? Two of my exes are your own brothers, for crying out loud! But at least you _know_ that! You _know_ about my relationships with Damon and Nicky and Aleksandr. I know nothing about you and Elizabeth or anyone else except Susan. And I think I _deserve_ to know, don't you?" She eyed him reproachfully.

"There is a difference between your relationships and mine," Elijah said. "The majority of mine happened in the past. All those women are dead. Or most of them, anyway. Elizabeth still being alive is just unfortunate luck."

"That doesn't give you a free pass to keep things from me!" Selina said. "If I'm gonna be open with you, you have to be open with me!"

Elijah's eyes narrowed. "Do you realize how long it would take me to tell you about _every single_ relationship I've had in the past thousand or so years?"

"I didn't say you had to tell me about all of them at once," Selina said. "You can tell me about a couple at a time, but eventually I _am_ going to know about your entire romantic history. Because if you don't tell me yourself, I'll find out some other way, believe you me."

Elijah shut his eyes and rubbed his temples. "And with that," he said, "the mood has been ruined and I think we're done for the evening. I'm going to dry myself off and then go to bed."

He boosted himself out of the tub and dried himself off, and as she watched him, Selina felt nothing. Once he was gone, she sat alone in the tub for a few more minutes, and then drained it, carefully drying herself off, dressing in pajamas, and then going to her spare bedroom to sleep for the night. She knew he wouldn't tell her anything. But she knew the person who would. And she'd see her tomorrow.

* * *

Selina burst into Stefan and Anna's living room the next day, Gregory in her arms. "Where's Anna?" She asked Stefan, who was sitting on the sofa. "I have to talk to her. It's an emergency!"

Stefan just looked up at her. "Well, thank you for knocking," he said dryly. "Anna's not here right now. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No," Selina said quickly. "I think I'll just sit until she comes back."

Stefan nodded and the three of them sat in silence until Anna returned, then Selina sat Gregory on the sofa, stood up, strode over to her and gripped her arms. "We have a problem!" She said. "Did you know that Elijah had an ex-fiancee?"

Anna smirked. "He's had a lot of them. But the most recent one was a woman named Elizabeth. He left her when she got too attached to him and almost found out he was a vampire. A lot like you and Aleksandr, if you think about it."

"Well, she's back!" Selina said. "And she might try to start things up with him again. I mean, sure she's all old and wrinkly by now, but you never know."

"We should check up on this," Anna said. "Just in case, you know."

Selina nodded. "But we'll have to take Gregory with us. I can't seem to get hold of anyone to watch him."

"I could do it," Stefan said, looking perturbed. "It's not like the two of you are going to give me any other choice." But when Gregory crawled into his lap, he _did_ lighten up a little. "There go Lucy and Ethel," he said. "Or in this case, Lucy and Lucy."

As Selina and Anna drove away from the house, Selina's cell phone rang. "What are you doing?" Elijah asked. "Whatever it is, stop doing it!"

"I resent your tone!" Selina said. It implies that I'm doing something bad. All I'm doing is a little checking up on your ex-fiancee. What's so wrong with that?"

"You've lost your mind," Elijah said. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Why didn't you tell me about her?" Selina asked.

"Because we were together years ago and frankly, I thought she'd be dead by now!" Elijah said. "Come back home, please. And I don't see why you had to bring Gregory into this-" He kept talking, but Selina took the phone away from her ear and rolled her eyes. "Can you believe him?" She asked Anna. "He actually called just to tell me not to do anything crazy. I wouldn't call this 'crazy'. Would you?"

"No," Anna shook her head. "I would call it a preemptive strike against trouble. That's what I would call it, and if Elijah can't understand that, it's not our fault." She gave Selina a look. "So where are we going? Where does she live?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't _you_ know? You know more about her than I do. I only met her recently. You've known about her for _years._"

"Well, that may be so," Anna said. "But that doesn't mean Elijah told me where she lived or anything. He seemed to think I would interfere if he gave me too many details about his relationships."

Selina scoffed. "If that doesn't make him like every other man I've ever known, I don't know what does. Why do they always think that they can't trust us? They should be able to, you know? Or at least have the sense to figure out that if they don't tell us the truth about their exes, we'll find out some other way that will be much more unpleasant for them."

"So how do you suggest we work our way out of this?" Anna asked. "Asking Elijah flat out won't get us anywhere, we know that much."

"I've got it!" Selina said, brightening. "Elijah saw her at the bakery! Maybe I can go there and ask around and then he'd never have to know."

"What bakery?" Anna asked. "What would Elijah be doing in a bakery?"

"It's _my_ bakery," Selina said. "Yesterday was opening day, but I was in bed sick because of the baby, so Elijah was sweet enough to cover for me, even if it meant spending time around Abby. She's a girl who has a huge crush on him, you know."

"Just a minute," Anna said. "Let me get a good grip on this image I have in my head of Elijah selling cupcakes because it is _hilarious!_ I mean, who'd have thunk?"

"Yeah," Selina said. "He's just too good to me sometimes. Except for when he won't be open with me about his past relationships. And that is why we are going to the bakery to talk to Edith about her friend Elizabeth."

"While you're doing that, can I eat whatever I want?" Anna asked.

Selina nodded. "As long as you don't make yourself sick."

When they got to the bakery, they found Edith sweeping up. "Well, hello!" She said, smiling. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better today, Selina. Did Elijah tell you what a profitable day we had yesterday?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Things went well? I'm so glad!"

"Yes," Edith nodded. "The place was so packed you couldn't even see the floor. That's why I'm glad Elizabeth and I stayed in the kitchen. We would have gotten trampled!"

"I came by and talk to you about your friend Elizabeth," Selina said as Anna sat down in front of a three-level cupcake display and began eating the cupcakes off it one at a time.

"Is it all right that she's-?" Edith asked, watching Anna nervously.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "She's a friend of mine and I told her she could. Now about your friend Elizabeth-"

"What about her?" Edith asked. "I wasn't aware that the two of you even knew each other."

"We don't," Selina said. "But we have a mutual acquaintance, let's say. I'd like to talk to her. Could you tell me where she lives?"

"I don't know if I'm comfortable just _telling_ you where she lives," Edith said. "Would it be all right if I invited her to the bakery and you two talked here?"

Selina grinned. "You seem nervous, Edith. What do you think I plan to do with Elizabeth? Kill her? I only want to talk to her...really."

"Listen to her," Anna said, her mouth full of cupcake. "That's all she really wants."

Just then, the little bell over the bakery door rang and Elizabeth walked in. "Well, speak of the devil," Selina said.

"I'm sorry?" Elizabeth asked.

"Elizabeth, this is Selina," Edith said. "She's my boss. She wants to talk to you. Says you have a mutual acquaintance."

"We do?" Elizabeth asked.

Selina nodded. "We do. Could we talk in my office, please?" She asked. "Would you mind?"

"No, I wouldn't," Elizabeth said. "Lead the way."

Selina led Elizabeth into her office and shut the door behind them. "There," she said. "Now we can talk safely. I understand you used to be engaged to my husband."

Elizabeth nodded, her expression hard. "I loved him very much. But he left me. You're a pretty girl. I would hate for him to do the same to you."

"Oh, I don't think that's possible," Selina said with a grin. "The thing that drove him away from you? I know about that. I know he's a vampire. And now that I've told you, are you going to keep quiet, or am I going to have to guarantee your silence?"

"He's done something to you," Elizabeth said, looking at Selina with sympathy. "He's messed with your mind somehow. He's controlling you. Get out while you still can. While you're still human."

"Now do we tell her?" Anna asked, her hand on the open office door. "Once we tell her the truth, we have to kill her. We can't have her blabbing the fact that we're vampires all over town."

"At least not until Halloween," Selina said. "At that point, it will be good for business."

"So are we going to kill her, or not?" Anna asked.

"Anna, she is a little old lady!" Selina said. "Killing her would be wrong! Killing _anyone_ is wrong. Except under extreme circumstances, of course."

"And of course I can't kill _you_," Elizabeth, replied. "I have to think of the children Elijah told me about. Your little boy and the baby you've got coming. Was Elijah telling the truth when he said you're pregnant?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "What about it?"

"Well, it's just wrong, isn't it?" Elizabeth said. "Here you have innocent little babies and you're damning them to hell by making them monsters. They don't even have a choice, do they?"

"What is it that you think we do to them?" Selina asked.

"You make them vampires, don't you?" Elizabeth asked. "Bit them, drink their blood, doom them to walk the night for the rest of eternity?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "They're _born_ vampires. Don't ask me to explain the logic of that to you, because I can't. But I would _never_ do anything to hurt my children the way you've described."

At that moment, Anna sped in and tackled Elizabeth, pinning her to the ground and sinking her fangs into Elizabeth's neck."

"No!" Selina cried. "Anna stop! We have to wipe her memory! That would be better."

Anna looked up at Selina resentfully. "You didn't use to think that way," she said. "Or do I have to remind you of what you did to a certain Alfred McIntyre?"

"Alfred deserved what I did to him," Selina said dismissively. "He was a scoundrel. Elizabeth here is just a nuisance. And we can fix that easily."

Anna got off Elizabeth and Selina pulled the old woman to her feet. "You don't remember anything about us," she said. "You don't remember being told that Elijah, or me or anyone else are vampires."

Elizabeth nodded. "I don't remember," she said.

"Good," Selina replied and released her. "Now go tell Edith you have to go home and you'll see her later."

Elizabeth stumbled out of Selina's office, said some parting words to Edith and then left the bakery. When she was on the sidewalk, she pulled a locket out of her dress, and opened it, careful not to let the contents spill out. It was vervain and it was precious. She couldn't afford to lose any of it.

* * *

Three months later, Caroline found herself on Adrian and Helene's doorstep. She knocked a couple of times and then waited. Soon, a little girl answered the door. "Hello," she said. "Who are you?"

"My name's Caroline," she said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Lenora," she replied. "Would you like to come inside?"

Caroline grinned. "Well, thank you," she said. She followed the little girl to the living room. "Sit down," Lenora told her. "Do you want to see Mommy or Daddy?"

"Is your daddy here?" Caroline asked. "I have to tell him something important."

"Just a minute," Lenora said. "I'll go see." She ran off to look for her father and eventually found him in the backyard working on an old car. "Daddy?" she said, "There's a lady here to see you. She wants to tell you something important."

Adrian, who was lying on the ground with a wrench in hand, sat up too quickly, hit his head, swore, and then looked at his daughter. "Did she say what her name was?" He asked, trying to keep his voice light.

Lenora grinned. "Daddy, you have a bump on your head."

"I know," Adrian said through his teeth. "That's what happens when you're working on a car and you forget how low the bottom is and hit your head on it."

"I can make it better," Lenora said. "Want me to? You don't want a bump like that when you talk to the pretty lady. And you have black stuff all over you."

Adrian sighed. "What the hell," he said, walking over to stand beside her. "Go ahead and fix me up."

Lenora kissed his forehead and then stepped back from him. He expected her to wave her hand and magically make the oil disappear from his shirt, but instead, she ran away and came back with the hose. She touched it and a jet of cold water burst forth, hitting Adrian with enough force to knock him to the ground and soak him from head to foot. "There," Lenora said with satisfaction when she turned the water off. "Now you're not dirty anymore."

"But I'm _wet_," Adrian pointed out. "Don't you see that I'm wet?"

She magically air-dried him and the two of them went into the house where Caroline sat waiting. "Hello, Adrian," she said. "I was wondering if we could have a word. It's about your father."

"What _about_ my father, Caroline?" Adrian asked. "What's he done now?"

"Nothing yet," she said. "But three months ago, your sister Roxie told him that she was pregnant, and then he found out your mother is again too and he just hasn't been the same since. So I just wanted to warn you about his unbalanced state of mind in case he shows up here and starts mumbling things that don't make any sense."

The room was silent for a moment and then Adrian burst into laughter. "That's a good joke," he said when he could get his breath. "I mean, April Fools' Day was like, three weeks ago, but still, that's a good joke! Roxie being pregnant...I have to give you top marks on that one." He grinned.

"Adrian, I'm not joking," Caroline said. "Roxie _is_ pregnant. For real. Go to her house and see for yourself."

"All right," Adrian said. "I'll play along. But you'll have to watch Lenora. You don't mind, do you?"

"No," Caroline said. She looked at Lenora. "We'll be fine, won't we?"

Adrian looked at Lenora, then looked at Caroline, taking Lenora gently by the arm. "Could you excuse us for a moment, Caroline?" He asked.

Caroline nodded. "Of course."

Adrian led Lenora off to a corner and said, "Remember your mother's rule about being alone with people who don't know you very well?"

"Yes," Lenora nodded.

"What is it?" Adrian asked. "I want you to tell me."

Lenora cleared her throat. "Mommy says that when I'm around people I don't know very well, it's not a good idea to do any magic."

Adrian nodded. "That's right. So you and Caroline stay here and play tea party or something while I go and visit Aunt Roxie, all right?"

Lenora nodded. "All right, Daddy. And if you're not back in an hour, I'll send help."

Adrian grinned at Lenora and ruffled her hair. "You're a good kid, you know that?" He asked her, then headed to his car and drove off to Roxie and Vince's.

* * *

Adrian parked in the street and walked up to the door, knocking. He heard a loud crash and a yell and then Vince opened the door. "Hi, Adrian," he said. "What brings you here?"

"Is Roxie really pregnant?" Adrian asked. "Or have I heard wrong?"

"No," Vince winced as another tinkling crash echoed through the house. "I think that was my grandmother's teapot," he said. "You wanna risk coming in? Or do you want me to come out?"

Adrian shrugged. "Whatever works for you," he said.

Vince nodded. "Why don't you come in." He opened the door and stood aside to let Adrian enter. They walked to the kitchen together, where Roxie was pulling things out of cabinets and throwing them on the floor.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Adrian said, grabbing her arm. "Slugger, how about we stop now?"

Roxie turned to face him and his eyes widened. "Oh, my god! You're-"

"Hideously_ fat_?" Roxie finished, venom in her voice. "Yeah, I know that. I'm not blind. And it's _his _fault!" She glared at Vince. "When I told him that I'd try to be pregnant, this is _not_ what I signed up for."

"Well, just what were you expecting?" Adrian asked. "You _had_ to know that you'd put on a bit of weight. You've been around Mom when she was pregnant, right?"

"Well, yeah," Roxie said. "I mean, I remember when she was pregnant with Lucy and Sam, but she _had_ to be big! She was carrying two babies! I'm just _faaaaaat!_" She burst into tears and ran in the direction of her and Vince's bedroom.

"Well, that's an improvement, I guess," Vince said. "I mean, at least she's not breaking stuff anymore."

"Maybe you should go see Enid again," Adrian suggested. "Just to see if, you know, Roxie's carrying twins or not. That could be possible, and if it was, Roxie might lighten up."

"Lighten up or freak out more," Vince said. "I mean, she was scared enough about screwing up with one baby. Imagine how bad she'll feel if she has to worry about screwing up with _two_."

"You mean she actually cared?" Adrian asked in surprise. "I would have thought she was doing this just to humor you!"

Vince nodded. "That's what I thought too, but apparently, under all her 'me, me, me!' there is a small part of her that actually cares about our kid or kids and doesn't want to screw it or them up."

They sat and stared at one another before Adrian finally said, "You want to go talk to Roxie, or do you think I should?"

"Maybe _you_ should," Vince told him. "She's not exactly in the best of moods with me right now."

"All right." Adrian nodded and walked to Roxie and Vince's room, knocking lightly on the door. "Slugger?" He said to Roxie, "Can I come in? I think we need to talk."

"Fine," Roxie said after a moment, her voice choked with tears. "Come in if you want. I don't care."

Cautiously, Adrian opened the door and stood just inside. "Are you all right?" He asked her.

"Yeah," Roxie said. "I'm fine. Now I told you you could come in, so you might as well do it!"

Steeling himself, Adrian advanced into the room and sat next to his sister on her side of the bed, and put his hand lightly on her shoulder. "Are you scared?" He asked. "Because it's okay if you are."

She turned to face him. "What would _you_ know about that? It's not like _you_ had to carry any babies!"

"Well, no," Adrian said. "But I _did_ go through the process with Helene, and spend practically every night of her pregnancy scared to death about the sort of kid she and I were gonna have."

"You were scared about _Lenora_?" Roxie asked in surprise. "But she's a _good_ kid! A little mischievous, sure, but a good kid!"

"But before Helene and I decided to make her werewolf gene dormant, we had a possible witch-vampire-werewolf hybrid on our hands," Adrian told her. "You can't tell me that's not scary, and at least it's not something _you_ have to deal with."

"Yeah," Roxie nodded and leaned against her brother. Adrian put an arm around her. "You're gonna be okay, right? You'll be able to handle a kid! Or even two, if that's what it comes to. I can see you being the one who makes your kids successful," he said.

"Really?" She asked. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, for starters," he said, "You won't let them get away with anything, will you?" He asked. "They break a rule and you won't be afraid to show them who's boss."

"But what if I do that and it makes them hate me?" Roxie asked. "I don't want my kid to hate me!"

"If your kid hates you for making rules to ensure their safety, then so what?" Adrian asked. "I mean, Lenora was upset the day Helene told her she couldn't do magic in front of just anyone in case she ended up getting hurt and Lenora pouted and cried and had a tantrum, but Helene stayed firm and eventually Lenora got over herself and she and Helene are good now. Making rules and boundaries for your kids is a good thing. It shows that you care. Don't be so hung up on making your kid like you that they're just able to do whatever they want. I mean, did that work for you and Dad?"

"No," Roxie shook her head. "I mean, that's why I liked him better when I was little, because he let me do whatever I wanted and Mom just nagged a lot, but now I sorta wish..."

"You sorta wish you'd been nicer to Mom, huh?" Adrian finished.

"Well, yeah," Roxie nodded, blushing a little. "Sort of." She paused. "And I know you said this awhile ago, but what did you mean about us having two kids? What do you know that I don't?"

Adrian shrugged. "I was just thinking of reasons why you're bigger than you're supposed to be at this point and one of the reasons I thought of was that you and Vince might be having twins. Would you be up to going to Enid's to check?"

Roxie nodded. "I guess so. But first, I should probably apologize to Vince and clean up the kitchen, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "That would be good. I'll even help you."

She and Adrian cleaned up the kitchen and then Roxie and Vince drove off to Enid's while Adrian headed back home, patting himself on the back for skillfully averting what could have blown up into a major crisis.

* * *

When Vince and Roxie arrived at Enid's, she handed Roxie an orange juice and told the two of them to sit down at the bar. "So, how are things going?" She asked.

"Am I gonna have twins?" Roxie blurted out. "Is that why I'm so fat?"

Enid stared at her for a few minutes, then, brushing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes, came around the bar to stand in front of Roxie. "Stand up," she ordered. "Let me look at you." Enid gave her a sweeping glance and said almost immediately, "Yes, you and Vince will be having twins." But her eyes were troubled, leaving Vince and Roxie to wonder if something was wrong.


	9. Happy Birthday, Damon

"We're gonna do something special today, Lenora," Damon said. "But you have to come with me out to my car. We're going on a field trip."

"You mean we're leaving home?" Lenora asked. "Where are we going?"

"To my house," Damon said as he led her out to his car and boosted her into the backseat. "I have a surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise?" Lenora asked as they drove away. "Will I like it?"

"I think you will," Damon said. "I can't tell you what it is, though. Otherwise it won't be a surprise."

They drove to Damon's house and all the while, he did is best to ignore her pleas for him to tell her what the surprise was. When they reached the house, he helped her out of the car and led her inside. "The surprise is up in the attic," he said. "But you have to keep hold of my hand. I don't want you to get lost or hurt, all right?"

Lenora nodded. "Yes, sir," she said. They walked slowly and carefully up the attic steps and Lenora let out a shriek and clutched Damon's arm as something scampered across the floor right in front of her. "What was that?!" She asked.

"It's just a little mouse," Damon said. "You'll be all right. It won't hurt you." He led her to a far corner of the attic where a dark walnut trunk sat. "What's in the box?" Lenora asked. Damon took the lid off and said, "Have a look inside."

"There's lots of stuff in here," Lenora said and let out a sneeze as a layer of dust rose up. "What is all of this?" She asked, pulling out a tiny doll with a painted porcelain head and a straw-filled body and an old tea cup that had a crack in the edge.

"Just some stuff I've saved over the years," Damon said. He pulled a picture out and showed it to her. "Anyone in this picture look familiar?" He asked her. Lenora took a look at it. "It's Grandma!" She said. "And you!"

Damon nodded. "Yep. This picture was taken a long time ago. On my birthday. Which is a little over a month away, incidentally."

"Really?" Lenora asked. "I'll make you a party!"

Damon grinned. "You don't have to do that, sweetie."

"But I _want to_," Lenora said. "Please let me."

Damon thought a moment. "All right," he said. "If you insist."

Lenora put her arms around him and to his surprise, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "It'll be fun," she said. "I promise." They spent the rest of the afternoon looking through the trunk and Lenora decided to take a few of Selina's dolls with her to play with. When they got back to Adrian and Helene's, Lenora set them neatly against her pillow and nodded with satisfaction. "That looks nice," she said to Damon. "Don't you think that looks nice?"

Damon nodded. "Sure," he said.

"All right," Lenora replied and took Damon's hand, pulling him out of her bedroom. "It's time for your party. Come on!"

When they reached the living room, she told him to sit down on the sofa and then ran off, coming back a few minutes later with her tea table, a few chairs, and one more box of stuff. "You need help?" Damon asked her.

Lenora shook her head. "No, thank you. I'll be okay, but you'll have to stand back." She waved her hand and the table and chairs set themselves up nicely, table cloth and all, and then Lenora set out the cups and plates by hand.

"Who are going to be in the other two chairs?" Damon asked her. "Or will it be just you and me?"

"No," Lenora shook her head. "Rusty and Snowball are gonna come too."

"I don't know about that!" Damon said. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have Rusty and Snowball in the same room?"

"Yes!" Lenora called. "It'll be okay!" She came back with Rusty and put him down next to the tea table, and then returned with Snowball, who was wearing a bonnet and a frilly dress. "Rusty doesn't like it when I dress him up," Lenora explained. "But Snowball is okay with it." She sat down with Snowball in her lap, and said, "Oh! We need cake, don't we?"

"That's okay," Damon told her. "We can just pretend. I don't mind."

"But we _have_ cake!" Lenora said. "Well, cupcakes. From Grandma's bakery."

"Since when did she have a bakery?" Damon asked, grinning like he always did when he heard Lenora refer to Selina as 'Grandma'.

"Since about a month ago," Lenora said. She came back with two cupcakes and two candles, which she stuck in Damon's. "Sorry I can't light them," she said apologetically. "Daddy says I can't go near matches and Mommy won't teach me how to do spells with fire until I'm older."

"Well, that's very wise of them, don't you think?" Damon asked her, blowing on the unlit candles.

"Did you make a wish?" Lenora asked him excitedly. "Was it for Aunt Lucy to come back so the two of you can make babies?"

Damon put a finger to his lips. "Shhh!" he said. "Don't say it out loud or it won't come true!"

"Sorry!" Lenora said quickly, her eyes wide. She zipped her lip and made a motion like throwing a key away. She sat in her chair and put her napkin in her lap before peeling the paper off the cupcake and eating it slowly. "This is good!" She exclaimed. "Don't you think so? Isn't Grandma a good baker?"

Damon took a bite of his, swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, she is," he agreed. "When she and I lived together a long time ago, she cooked for me all the time."

"She _did_?" Lenora asked. "When was that?"

"A _long_ time ago," Damon said. "Like, way before she met your grandpa and had your daddy."

"Who was that person in the picture over the fireplace at your house?" Lenora asked him. "The one of the boy who looked like you?"

"That's Joshua," Damon told her. "He was the first baby your grandmother ever had, before she even became a vampire."

"Oh," Lenora nodded. "Is he a vampire too? Can I meet him?"

"He's not a vampire," Damon said. "He grew up with my father and stayed human all his life."

"Oh," Lenora said, her face falling. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Damon said. "You can meet him. He's visited me every so often since your grandmother and I split up. I bet if I called him, he would come."

"Really?" Lenora asked eagerly. "Can you try it?"

"Yeah," Damon nodded. He called for Joshua a few times, but nobody came.

* * *

Joshua was at the hotel where Sam and the rest of the band were staying, standing patiently outside his brother's bedroom door and waiting for all the noise to subside. Finally, he let out a groan of frustration and decided to pop into the room anyway. Sam let out a shriek and tried to cover up both himself and Corrie.

"What are you _doing_ in here?" Sam yelled. "Don't you know the meaning of privacy?"

"Well, I waited as long as I could," Joshua replied. "But at last I had no choice but to just come in. I'm sorry if I'm inconveniencing you."

"You're damn right you're inconveniencing me," Sam said, gesturing at Corrie, who looked frightened. "Don't you see I have company?"

Joshua nodded. "I _heard_ you had company from outside. It would be hard not to with the noise you're making."

"Just tell me what you came here for and then go away," Sam said grumpily.

"Who are you talking to?" Corrie whispered. "Or are you just talking to yourself?"

"Remember how I told you I had a crazy family?" Sam whispered back. "Well, my brother is a ghost and he visits me sometimes. Usually to nag at me about something."

"You _do_ realize that Father's birthday is in a month," Joshua said, his arms crossed, staring at Sam severely. "What do you plan to do about that?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Sam said. "I haven't forgotten. I'll send him a card."

"No, you won't," Joshua said. "You are going to come home and see him in person. Whatever this is between you and him is ridiculous and it needs to end."

"If I come to Dad's birthday, will you go away?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Joshua nodded. "And I probably should anyway. He's been calling me for awhile now. So can I tell him you're coming?"

"Yes," Sam said, looking defeated. "You can tell him I'll be there."

Once Joshua was gone, Corrie said, "What did your brother the ghost have to say?"

"You're taking this very well," Sam remarked.

"Hey," Corrie shrugged. "My husband was the lord of the dead. I was around ghosts on a daily basis. Now, what did he want?"

Sam shrugged. "He just wanted to make sure I came to my father's birthday in a month," he replied. "Will we be able to spare a few days? Because seriously, if I don't go, Joshua will hunt me down until I do. "Sometimes, it's just easier to do what he says."

"I bet I'll be able to arrange something," Corrie said with a grin. "That is...if I get to come too."

"You want to come to my father's birthday?" Sam asked in surprise. "You don't think it's too soon for something like that?"

"Well, if you think it's too soon, I suppose you could go alone," Corrie said. "But I just thought-"

"No, no," Sam shook his head. "Now is as good a time as any, I suppose. My family is always gonna be the way they are. You might as well find that out sooner than later."

* * *

"Sorry it took me so long to get here," Joshua said when he appeared in front of Damon and Lenora. Rusty let out a whine and ran from the living room. Snowball let out a hiss and followed him.

"Hi!" Lenora waved. "You're the boy from the picture!"

"Who's that?" Joshua asked Damon, looking curiously at Lenora.

"This is Lenora," Damon told him. "She and I were at my house looking at stuff and she saw your picture and wanted to meet you."

"This isn't another one of Mother's children, is it?" Joshua asked.

"No," Damon shook his head, a grin curving his lips. "You're not gonna believe this, but this is your mother's _granddaughter._ I watch her while her parents work, or whatever it is they do during the day."

"What would cause you to do something like that?" Joshua asked, looking confused. "Not exactly a normal occupation for a man, is it?"

"He watches me because he misses Aunt Lucy," Lenora said. "This gives him something to do with himself. At least that's what Aunt Anna says."

Joshua nodded. "I should have known it would all come back to her," he said. "But anyway, I told Sam about your birthday being next month and he _swore_ he would come. And if he doesn't, I will hound him until he does."

"That's not the way to go about it," Damon said. "I don't want Sam to feel like he _has_ to come to my birthday party. He should come because he _wants_ to."

"I'll want to," Lenora said.

Damon ruffled her hair. "I know," he said. "Thank you."

* * *

"Are you certain you're all right?" Elijah asked, clutching Gregory and giving Selina a look. "What just happened?"

Selina looked up at him and took a deep breath. "I'm all right," she said. "I just need to sit down. I'm not sick or anything. It was something else."

"What could possibly make you almost drop Gregory?" Elijah asked, feeling a little horrified. He'd come into the kitchen for coffee that morning just in time to see Selina's face twist into a grimace and watch her nearly lose grip on Gregory, whom she was holding.

"You might want to put him down before I tell you," Selina said. "You hear what I'm about to tell you and you might almost drop him too."

"Well?" Elijah asked. "Stop being secretive and just tell me!"

"It was the baby," Selina said once Gregory was toddling around the kitchen floor. "The baby kicked and it surprised me so much that I almost dropped Gregory."

Elijah froze. "You're kidding!"

"No," Selina shook her head. "There it goes again." Elijah ran over and put his hand on her stomach. "Well, what do you know?" He asked. "We have another baby."

Selina grinned.

Just then, the kitchen door burst open and Roxie appeared, panting and looking frightened. "Mom, you have to help me!" She said. "I think something's wrong with me!"

Selina looked her over. "Oh, my god! You're pregnant!"

"I know," Roxie said. "I told you that. I'm as big as a house, I know. I've heard all that at work."

"All right," Selina nodded. "I'm done, I promise. So, what's the problem?"

"My stomach feels weird," Roxie said. "Like there are things moving around in it or something."

"Because there are," Selina said. "The baby is just saying 'Hi'. It should be developed enough to do that by now."

"That's the _baby_?" Roxie asked in surprise. "Or in my case, _babies_?"

Selina's head snapped up. "Did you just say 'babies'? Like, more than one baby?"

Roxie nodded. "Enid told Vince and me a month ago. You're only having one, right?"

Selina nodded. "Yep, only one."

They stood in silence and then Roxie came toward her mother. "Is _yours_ kicking too?" She asked shyly. "Can I feel it?"

Selina nodded. "Sure. Go ahead."

Roxie tentatively reached out and put her hand on Selina's stomach. "Yeah," she said, looking amazed. "It's in there. Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"A girl," Selina and Elijah said at the same time.

"What?" Selina asked, looking at him in surprise. "You _do_?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Well, we already have a boy, don't we?"

"Vince and I want a girl _and_ a boy," Roxie said. "That way, everyone will be happy. He wants to name the boy after his dad, but he let me name the girl."

"What name did you pick?" Selina asked.

"Addison," Roxie said. "Vince had this book of names and he told me to take a look at it. When I told him what name I wanted, he just rolled his eyes cause I didn't even get past the A's before I picked a name."

"Well, if you like the name Addison, then you like the name Addison," Selina said. "And he told you you could name the girl. You didn't do anything wrong."

Just then, the phone rang. Selina went to answer it. "Lucy?" She asked. "What's wrong? What do you need?"

"Nothing," Lucy replied. "Well, nothing super important. I'm not in trouble or anything. I just wondered when Damon's birthday was."

"In a little over a month," Selina said. "Right near yours and Sam's. I don't think I need to ask why you're asking me that."

"Well, I want to do something nice for him of course," Lucy said. "I was thinking of coming home for a weekend."

"I think he'd like that," Selina said. "How's your mural coming along?"

"It's a pain in the butt," Lucy said. "A lot harder than I thought it would be. My boss is a real ass."

"I'm sorry," Selina said sympathetically. "Just hang in there."

"I will," Lucy said. "The best art comes from lots of suffering, and believe me, I _am_ suffering."

"I love you, Lucy," Selina said. She looked up at Elijah, who was gesturing for Selina to give him the phone. "Your uncle wants to talk to you," she said. "Is that all right?"

"Of course," Lucy said. "Hand me over."

"Lucy," Elijah said when he took the phone. "How are you?"

"As well as I can be," Lucy said. "Working hard and all that."

"Have you been eating?" Elijah asked.

"Yes," Lucy said. "And I haven't run with bad crowds or started drinking or gotten any tattoos. I promise."

"Well, that's good to hear," Elijah said. "Not that I was worried about that. You're_ much _too responsible to do something as juvenile as any of that."

"That's me," Lucy said. "Super responsible." She gave a brief, awkward laugh.

"Are you all right?" Elijah asked.

"Yeah, fine," Lucy said quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," Elijah said. "But you sound nervous."

"Nervous?" Lucy replied. "Why would I be nervous? Listen, I've got to go now, but I'll see you when I come home in a month. Bye." She hung up quickly leaving Elijah to wonder what in the world was wrong with her.

* * *

Lucy slammed the phone down and took a deep breath. That had been close. A few more seconds of talking to him and she would have blurted out everything. She pulled up her shirt and looked down at the belly button ring she'd acquired just a few days before, after a night out with Pierre and some of the other singers from the opera house. They'd encouraged her to try absinthe, foolishly she had, and the next morning, she'd woken up with a pierced belly button.

Not that she minded of course. She actually kinda liked it. It made her feel edgy and kind of badass. But her uncle was a whole other story. To him, she was the responsible one, the intelligent one, the hope for the family. Every time he looked at her, he got this sickeningly fond expression on his face and she just _knew_ that if he ever found out she'd pierced her belly button, he'd be disappointed with her. But it wasn't anything that could be fixed now. What was done was done. She stepped away from the opera house phone and went back to the wall where the mural was taking shape. She groaned. The whole corner she'd just been working on had disappeared...again. Sighing, she got down on her knees and prepared to start painting again, but her brush was gone. She watched it move across the floor, seemingly of its own accord. Every time she reached it, it just moved again.

"All right," Lucy yelled out. "I've had enough! Pierre or whoever is playing tricks on me, this is _not_ funny! I just want to get this stupid mural over with and I'm _so_ close! Please don't wreck it for me!"

The paintbrush stopped moving right in front of a pair of patent leather shoes. Lucy looked up into the hollow eyes of a man with slicked back hair, wearing a torn and bloodied tux.

"Who are you?" Lucy asked him. "Are you the person who's been messing with my work?"

He nodded slowly and pointed at the part of the wall she had never successfully painted. Then he took her hand, pulled her toward him, and whispered in her ear, "_Aidez-moi_," he whispered. "_Aidez-moi."_

His hands were cold and his breath made Lucy move her head back a little, but as soon as he'd delivered his message, he let her go and disappeared. Then Lucy looked around and took a deep breath, then decided it would be best to go home. She looked at the clock. It was almost one in the morning anyway. She'd take a cab, and if Monsieur Matthieu didn't like it, that was his problem.

* * *

The next morning, she called in sick and then went to see Mimi. "How much do you know about the opera house?" She asked.

"Quite a bit, I should think," Mimi said. "Why?"

"How old is it?" Lucy asked. "Have you ever heard anything about someone being murdered there?"

"No!" Mimi shook her head, shock on her face. "What would make you think something like that happened? I mean, I know there are stories about it being haunted, but Monsieur Matthieu just made those up to bring the opera house publicity! You know, _Phantom of the Opera_ and all that."

"I don't think it was something he just made up," Lucy said. "I think there's more to it than that. See, ever since I started painting that mural, there's been one spot on the wall that just will _not_ stay painted. I'll do the work, leave, come back the next day, the paint will be gone from that spot. Well, I was working late last night because Monsieur Matthieu demanded I do it under threat of him telling Lucia that I'm a miserable failure. But while I was working, my paintbrush got away from me and started moving by itself, and when I finally caught up to it, I saw a guy in a torn and bloody tux with slicked back hair staring at me. He pointed to the bare spot on the wall and asked me to help him, then he disappeared. I know it sounds crazy, but that's what I saw!"

"I believe you," Mimi said. "I believe you, don't worry. I've always thought that Pierre was hired under suspicious circumstances."

"What?" Lucy asked, surprised. "What _kind_ of circumstances?"

"Well, the star tenor before Pierre was a guy named Antoine Lebois, and he and Monsieur Mattieu never got along. Matthieu claimed that Antoine was much too demanding and overstepped his bounds as an employee, asking for way too much money and that sort of thing. Antoine said that Monsieur Matthieu took advantage of his talent and worked him like a slave just so the opera house would be successful. About this time three years ago, Antoine was set to star as Don Giovanni, but just before opening night, he disappeared. No one ever saw him again. Monsieur Matthieu chalked it up to Antoine being ungrateful. Meanwhile, Pierre, as understudy, sang Don Giovanni on opening night and got himself a cushy career."

"Wow," Lucy said. "So no one questioned Antoine's disappearance?" Lucy asked. "Were they stupid or what?"

"Well, Antoine's mother suspected that something had happened to her son. She had heard many stories from her son about Monsieur Matthieu's cruelty, but could not prove anything definitively. She tried to put her suspicions out in the news, and when Matthieu's lawyers tried to give her a big cash settlement to shut her up, she refused it. It was after her rejection of the money that the rumors of the opera house being haunted began to crop up. In the beginning, Monsieur Matthieu encouraged the stories of the hauntings because they were publicity for him, but now...now I think realizes that encouraging the stories was a bad idea."

"Because his guilt about killing Antoine is coming back to haunt him?" Lucy asked.

Mimi scoffed. "Men like Monsieur Matthieu don't feel guilt. All that matters to them is money and success and right now, Matthieu has a lot of both."

"Do you think the reason why the ghost pointed to the wall is because that's where Monsieur Matthieu stuck his body after he killed him?" Lucy asked.

"Well, I don't know," Mimi said. "Your guess is as good as mine." She stood up. "Listen. While Antoine's mother was talking to the news media, she claimed to have seen and communicated with his spirit. Maybe she knows something that could help corroborate your story."

Later that afternoon, Mimi and Lucy found themselves in the sitting room of an older lady whose house smelled like violets.

"You have come to ask me about my son?" Danielle Lebois eyed Mimi and Lucy keenly. "Are you friends of his? He's been dead for a few years now. At this point, no one cares."

"We both do," Mimi assured her. "Lucy here is doing a mural at the opera house and she told me she saw Antoine's spirit last night."

Danielle's eyes widened. "You have seen my son? What did he look like?"

"Dark hair, slicked back, dark eyes, and wearing a tux that was torn and covered with blood," Lucy said. "Most of the blood was around the spot on his shirt over where his heart would be." She winced. "Sorry if my talking like that is painful for you."

"No, no," Danielle shook her head. "That is fine. I wanted to make sure you'd really seen my son and you describe him perfectly. That's just how I've seen him too. Every night for the last three years. He's come to me and we've talked about his death. He told me he was murdered."

"Was he put in the wall?" Lucy asked. "Is that what Monsieur Matthieu did to him?"

"How do you know?" Danielle asked.

"When I saw him last night, he pointed at the wall where I've been painting and asked me to help him. The spot where he pointed is a spot that I've never been able to paint."

Danielle nodded. "Yes. He told me that he and Monsieur Matthieu got in an argument, and while they fought, Matthieu produced a knife and stabbed him several times, then bricked him up in the wall to cover up his crime. And he did a good job too, I guess," she said, her mouth twisting into a grimace, her blonde hair falling loose from its updo. "No one even gives a thought to my son anymore."

"Well, maybe if we produced your son's body, they _would_ care," Lucy said. "We just need to find a way to get into the wall."

* * *

The next day, Lucy did something she knew her uncle Elijah would never approve of and compelled the local police to come down to the opera house and break down the wall. Just as they arrived, however, Monsieur Matthieu came to meet them. "What are police officers doing here?" he asked Lucy.

"Oh, nothing," she said. "They just came to inspect the wall where I've been painting the mural. I have reason to believe there's something fishy about it."

"Preposterous!" Monsieur Matthieu spat. He looked at the police officers. "I'm sorry this little girl brought you on a fool's errand, but I can assure you on my honor as a businessman that there is nothing wrong with that wall."

"If there's nothing wrong with the wall, why can't we have a look at it?" Mimi asked him. "Stand aside, please, Monsieur and let the officers do their job." Elbowing the stunned Monsieur aside, Mimi and Lucy led the officers to the wall, where they began breaking it down. Eventually, as Mimi, Lucy, and Antoine's mother suspected, they found Antoine's body in the cavity. along with the bloody knife Monsieur Matthieu had used to stab him. Monsieur Matthieu was arrested and put in jail to await trial and a new director was hired for the opera house, who promised to pay Lucy both for the work she'd done on the previous mural and the new one that he commissioned from her almost immediately.

The night of Matthieu's arrest, Lucy was about to fall asleep when she saw a shimmery figure out of the corner of her eye. She sat up and he became more clear. Soon, Antoine Lebois was standing by her bed, a grin on his face. "_Merci_," he said to her. "_Merci, Merci_." He took her hand in his cold one and kissed it, then he disappeared, and Lucy snuggled under her covers and shut her eyes, getting her first good night's sleep in awhile.

* * *

"Can I come with you to go see Lucy?" Damon asked Selina, who had come over to talk to him about what he wanted to do for his birthday. "I mean, if anyone deserves to come with you, it's me. You asked me what I want for my birthday. This is what I want."

Selina looked up at him. "No, you can't come," she said curtly. "I have my reasons. You and Nicky and Elijah in the same space would just be awkward. I'm sorry. But I'll be sure to let Lucy know you're thinking of her. If you can think of anything other than seeing Lucy that you want for your birthday, just let me know."

As soon as Selina left the house, Damon called Lucy. "I can't believe your mother!" He fumed. "All I want is to come and see you for your-I mean _our_ birthdays, and she says I can't! Where does she come off saying something like that? Who is she to control whether or not I can see you? I don't care what she says. I'm buying a ticket, I'm getting on a plane, and you're gonna see me in a week."

"No, wait!" Lucy said, before he could hang up. "Damon don't! That will ruin everything!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Damon asked, sounding offended. "Are you saying you don't want to see me?"

"You know I do!" Lucy replied. "It's just that...the reason why Mom doesn't want you to come with, and the reason why you shouldn't hop on a plane and come see me, as romantic as that gesture would be, is because they're gonna bring _me _back to see _you_. I wasn't supposed to tell you. It was supposed to be a surprise. Do you think you can still act surprised?" She asked hopefully. "I don't want Mom to know I've given anything away."

"Okay," Damon said, feeling a lightness in the pit of his stomach. "When you get here, I'll act surprised. Your mom won't know a thing."

"Thank you," Lucy said. "In the mean time, keep your chin up. You only have to wait a week or so. And here's another surprise: I bought something special for when we have our own private little celebration at your house. I think you'll like it."

"Really?" Damon asked, grinning. "What is it?"

Lucy giggled. "Oh, no. You'll have to wait and see. But I bet you can use your imagination, can't you? Bye, Damon. See you in a week!"

Damon hung up the phone feeling much less hostile than he had before, and went to his room to think about just what it was that Lucy had bought for their birthday.

* * *

"Hi, you guys!" Lucy said when she opened the door of her apartment to see Elijah, Selina, Klaus and Caroline on the other side. "I'm so glad you came!"

She hugged everyone except Selina, who was almost too big to hug. "Girl or a boy?" Lucy asked. "Or do you know yet?"

"It's gonna be a girl," Selina said. "We're happy about it."

"But enough about us," Elijah said. "What about _you_? What is it we'll be seeing at this premiere tonight? Your opera house mural?"

"Actually, that's taking longer than I thought," Lucy said. "My boss got convicted of murder and to prove it, we had to destroy all the work I did on the original mural. So I've started over completely, but I'm being paid really well for it and I get to paint whatever I want this time, so it's totally worth the extra work."

"Why was your boss convicted of murder?" Klaus asked. "What kind of people are you working around?"

"Opera people," Lucy said. "Need I say more? Anyway, the work you're going to see tonight is some of the pieces I've done for Lucia's gallery."

"You're saying that you've been doing this opera mural and you've still had time to do other work?" Caroline asked, looking amazed. "When do you sleep?"

"Not much," Lucy admitted. "That's why I'm gonna be glad for this little break."

"It sounds like you've earned it," Klaus said. "Do you have anything here in the apartment we could look at. or is it all at Lucia's?"

"Actually, there is one that I have here," Lucy said. "It's the focal point of the whole exhibition." She led the four of them to a corner of the room where a framed picture of a young man hung.

"Wow," Caroline said. "Nice, but a little gruesome, isn't it? Of course that's not new for you." She paused. "Who is it?"

The picture in question was one Lucy had painted after the final visit of Antoine Lebois. She'd woken up immediately the next morning and painted him from memory. The sight of him was not something she wanted to lose, and she'd not missed a detail.

"His name was Antoine Lebois," Lucy said. "He used to be the star tenor at the opera house, but then he and Monsieur Matthieu exchanged some bitter words and Monsieur Matthieu ended up killing Antoine by stabbing him through the heart and then bricking Antoine and the knife up in the wall to conceal his crime. Antoine's spirit haunted the opera house until me and Mimi and Antoine's mother brought him some justice. The portrait is of how his ghost looked when I saw him, blood and all."

"Oh," Caroline said, swaying a little. "How lovely."

"I have one more picture I want to show you," Lucy said.

"If you don't mind," Caroline said, "I think I'll stay back here. But I'm sure that whatever it is is well done."

"No, you'll want to see this one, Caroline," Lucy said and went to get the canvas. She pulled the cloth off it to reveal a painting of a bunch of pastel flowers on a sunny day. "I painted this at the park," she said. "Just because I wanted to try something a little different." She presented it to Caroline. "You can have it, if you'd like."

"Really?" Caroline asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "In fact, I painted it especially for you. Just a little something to remember me by when you're at home and Roxie is giving you crap. She hasn't been too bad, has she?"

"Well, considering that she's pregnant with twins, she's actually been pretty well-behaved," Klaus said.

"Wait a minute!" Lucy said. "Let's step back. Roxie is _what _with _what?"_

"Roxie is pregnant with twins," Selina said, looking at Lucy's shocked face apologetically. "I _knew_ there was something I forgot to tell you about when I called."

"Oh, my god," Lucy said, sinking down on her bed. "Poor Vince! How's he handling it."

"Admirably," Elijah said. "Very admirably."

"And Roxie is too," Selina added. "And she and I have been getting along better than usual now that we have something in common."

They talked a little longer, and then the four adults left and because it was time for Lucy to get ready for her premiere.

* * *

Lucy spent most of her show hiding out in the bathroom. It was nice that her parents and Caroline and Uncle Elijah had to come to support her, but without Damon there, it just didn't feel the same.

Just then, someone came into the bathroom and knocked on her stall. "Are you all right?" Caroline called. "Your father sent me in here. He's concerned."

"I'm fine," Lucy said. "Just a little tired, that's all."

"You want to talk about it?" Caroline asked. A few minutes later, Lucy got off the toilet and left the stall to find Caroline sitting on the sofa that took up most of one corner of the ladies' room. Lucy sat next to her. "You're probably like, the one person who would sympathize with me about this, but just...I feel like something is missing for me, you know? This should be a night of triumph for me, people I love have come to support me. I know I should be happy. But the guy I like _isn't_ here, and I would feel so much better about this if he was. Is that stupid?"

"No," Caroline said, putting her arm around Lucy. "It's _not_ stupid at all. So you like a guy, huh? Who is it?"

"Damon Salvatore," Lucy said. "I know that's _weird_ because he used to be with Mom a gazillion years ago, but I like him."

"I didn't say anything!" Caroline said. "Did you hear me say anything? Just promise me you'll be careful, all right? He's an older guy and...well, I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Lucy nodded. "Thanks for the concern, but I think we'll be all right."

"What do you say you go back out there now before your father gets so concerned he comes and knocks the bathroom door off its hinges?"

"All right," Lucy said, putting her hand in Caroline's. "Let's go."

* * *

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Stefan asked Damon.

"No," Damon said. "I didn't. How could I? I was too busy thinking of Lucy coming today!"

"Well at least you didn't want any expensive presents," Stefan said dryly. "Well, maybe you _could_ say Lucy was an expensive gift since she had to be flown in from Europe."

Just then, the doorbell rang. "It's her!" Damon almost yelled, jumping up. "It's her!"

"Don't seem so eager!" Stefan said, rolling his eyes. "Try to be a _little _cool, would you?"

But Damon wasn't listening to him. He ran to the door and pulled it open. "Sam!" He said in surprise. "I didn't think you were gonna come."

Sam shrugged, stepped inside, and he and Damon embraced for a few seconds and then parted. "I figured there would be cake, so what the hell? _And_ I wanted you to meet my girlfriend. Dad, this is Corrie, Corrie, this is my Dad."

"Lovely to meet you," Corrie said, shaking his hand. She held up a box. "Where do you want your presents?"

"I'll show you," Stefan said. "Come with me."

Once Corrie was out of earshot, Sam said, so what do you think of her?"

"She seems all right," Damon said. "A little older than I expected, but she seems nice. And beautiful."

"Thanks for being so glad to see me," Sam said quietly. "I know you were probably expecting Lucy."

"Well, I am, but that's because I know for a fact that she's coming," Damon said. "With you, I had no idea, but this is a nice surprise. Thank you."

"No problem," Sam said. "Will we be seeing Mom too?"

"I wouldn't bet on it," Damon said. "But she _did _bring me a card this morning."

Damon was right when he said Selina wouldn't make an appearance, but he, Stefan, Sam and Corrie had a good enough time during the day, and just as the sun was going down, he got the phone call he'd been waiting for.

"I'm at my mom's," Lucy said. "Are you ready for me?"

"You have no idea," he replied, grinning. "How long will it take you to get here?"

"Give me ten minutes," Lucy said. Then she hung up the phone and Damon stripped down and wrapped a towel around himself, then went to stand on the other side of the door. When he heard a knock, he checked the peephole to make sure it was Lucy, and when he had ascertained that it was, he opened the door and let the towel fall at the same time she opened her gray trenchcoat.

"Surprise!" They said together. "Happy birthday!" Leaving the towel and coat on the floor, they threw themselves into each other's arms, kissing one another furiously. "So I see you didn't miss me at all," Lucy said as they rolled around on the living room floor. "Well, I didn't miss you either."

Damon rolled her over so that he was looking down into her eyes. "Are you kidding?" He asked. "I have missed you so much, you don't even know."

"Yeah, I do," Lucy said quietly. "Because I missed you too. She brought her head up to kiss him and he pushed into her. "Oh, _yes_!" Lucy yelled. "You have no idea how much I've needed this!"

After they had both calmed down, he looked deeply into her eyes and said, "I know this is kind of sudden, but...Cookie Monster, will you marry me?"


	10. The Kids Are All Right

A/n- This was kind of a hard chapter for me to write (for reasons you will see) and I want to take time to thank **Lovely Vero** for all her help and support of me while I wrote it.

Lucy froze. "Really? Are you serious?"

"Yeah!" Damon nodded. "Of course I'm serious. I mean, you're here for the weekend, right? So tomorrow, we can go right down to a judge and..."

"Wait," Lucy said. "Stop."

"What?" Damon asked. "What's the matter?"

"Why are you asking me this now?" Lucy asked after he got off her.

"Because I love you and you love me and we should get married." Damon said. "What's the problem?"

"I agree that we should get married," Lucy said. "But why now? Why this second?"

Damon sighed. "Well, this isn't turning out the way I hoped."

"Well, I'm sorry," Lucy said gently. "But you know I can't get married now. I still have six months left with Lucia. And then I'll come back. And I'll still love you. This isn't like when you and Mom got engaged and the country was at war, and you weren't sure you were ever gonna see each other again."

Damon looked her in the eye. "Do you realize how hard it was for me to put you on that plane and send you away?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "I do." She stood up and put a blanket from the sofa around herself. "And it was hard for me to leave too. But the point is, we were both able to get through that without there being any problem. Why can't you just do that again?"

"Because now I know how lonely I am without you," Damon said. "And it's so hard, just being here by myself."

Lucy smiled at him and put a hand on his. "I get it," she said. "I know you have trouble with being alone. But remember, I will come back, you know. I'm not leaving forever. I'll say that as many times as you need to hear it. But let's not think about that now. We still have two more days. Let's make the most of them."

"I guess you're right," Damon said and kissed her. "Now, where were we?"

* * *

The next day, Lucy said, "Do you know if Helene and Adrian will want you to watch Lenora today or not?"

Damon shrugged. "I don't know. Part of me kind of hopes so. She's like our little cheerleader, although I'm a little concerned about how interested she is in us having babies."

"She's _still_ thinking about that?" Lucy asked. "Wow. And how long ago was it that Rusty and Lady had their puppies? More than a month, right?"

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "You would think that Lenora's five-year-old's attention span would have moved on to something else by now, but apparently not."

Just then, Lucy started violently as they heard a popping noise and Lenora suddenly appeared. "Good morning!" She said brightly. "Hi, Aunt Lucy! Did I scare you? I'm sorry."

"Well, I have to admit I wasn't expecting you to show up," Lucy said. "Why did you come? Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"Do your mommy and daddy need me to watch you?" Damon added.

"No," Lenora sat down and picked up a piece of toast from the plate on the table and handed it to Lucy. "Can you put jelly on this, please?"

Lucy sighed and went to get a knife.

"Why couldn't you just magically put jelly on the toast?" Damon asked her.

"Mommy doesn't like me doing magic for every little thing," Lenora explained. "She says I have to learn how to do things by myself too, in case I ever do something that would make me lose my magic, and so I'll fit in better with the human kids."

"Oh," Damon nodded. "How come you had Aunt Lucy put your jelly on, then? Why couldn't _you_ do it?"

"Cause apparently, I'm too young to touch knives," Lenora said, rolling her eyes. "Daddy and his silly rules."

"Here's your toast, Lenora," Lucy said, dropping the plate down in front of her. "Now, does your mommy know you're here?"

Lenora took a bite of toast and shook her head. "Nope. I just came."

"Well, it's not nice to invite yourself over to other people's houses without permission," Lucy said. "And I'm sure that since your mommy and daddy are home today, they'll want to see you since they don't get to during the week. So why don't you go and see them? You wouldn't want to worry your mother because she'll think you're missing, do you?"

"No," Lenora said. "I don't want to worry Mommy. That's a bad thing to do."

Lucy nodded. "Yes, it is. Maybe you can ask her and then come over later today."

"Really?" Lenora asked.

"Yeah," Lucy nodded.

Lenora finished her toast and stood up. "All right," she said. "I'll go and ask Mommy if I can come later. Bye-bye!"

"Bye!" Lucy said and then Lenora disappeared.

"You handled _that_ well," Damon said. "I probably would have let her stay."

"But you heard her," Lucy said. "She didn't even tell Helene that she was _here_! If we'd just let her stay, it would have resulted in a very panicked phone call or something and we wouldn't want to do that to Helene. She doesn't deserve that."

Damon nodded. "Lenora is sweet, but it's not the easiest thing in the world to keep an eye on her. I should know that pretty well."

Lucy kissed him. "It was so sweet of you to agree to watch her."

"I wasn't really given much of a choice, actually," Damon said. "I've been living with Stefan and Anna since you left because I didn't want to be alone in my house, and one day, Anna decided that I was becoming a problem and that I need to 'do something' with myself, so without consulting me, she went to talk to Helene, who was looking for someone to watch Lenora while she and Adrian were at work and doing whatever it is they do, and Anna volunteered me. Lenora's grown on me, though. That surprised me." He paused. "But you probably _would_ have liked to hear that I happily went into watching Lenora, right? That I selflessly devote myself to Lenora's care and spend my days enriching her life."

"No," Lucy shook her head. "Not only does that sound incredibly stupid, I know it's not the truth. I like it that you're honest with me, even when you're telling me stuff you don't think I'll want to hear. And besides, it's not like you need to say stuff just to impress me anymore. I already like you, and will happily let you see me naked any time."

Damon grinned. "Well, how about right now? Will that work for you?"

"Hmmm..." Lucy replied, a twinkle in her eye. "I don't know. I might have to think about this...Oh!" Damon picked her up and carried her toward the bedroom. "Time's up," he said. "No more thinking." He set her down on the bed, undressed her and kissed her soundly. Lucy grinned. "Well, it's nice to know you like me for my brains."

* * *

"Is it okay if I go see Aunt Lucy and Damon tonight?" Lenora asked her parents. "Aunt Lucy said it was okay if you said 'yes'."

"I don't know if it's a good idea for you to go and see Damon and Aunt Lucy," Helene said. "Maybe you should let them have some time alone while Aunt Lucy is here."

"But _I_ wanna see Aunt Lucy too!" Lenora said.

"You saw her this morning when you left the house without telling your daddy or me," Helene said. "You shouldn't have done that, Lenora."

"I know," Lenora said. "You told me that after I got out of timeout."

"And we're going to tell you again and again," Adrian replied. "Just because you have the ability to magically go wherever you want doesn't mean it's a good idea. What if something bad had happened to you and your mommy and I didn't know about it?"

"Nothing bad happened," Lenora said. "I'm okay. See?" She held up her elbows and then stood up and showed her knees. "No owies or anything. Plus, if anyone tries to hurt me, I can just-" She hissed and showed her fangs. "That's what those are for, right?"

"Well, yes, but-" Adrian began.

"But what?" Lenora asked.

"Help me!" Adrian mouthed to Helene.

"Well," Helene clapped her hands once. "We're getting really off-subject here, aren't we? We were talking about whether or not you were gonna go visit Damon and Aunt Lucy tonight, weren't we?"

"Yeah!" Lenora said. "So can I go?"

"Let me go call Aunt Lucy and see if it's okay, and if she says 'yes,' then you can go," Helene said.

"But she already _said_ 'yes'!" Lenora yelled at her mother's retreating back. "I _told_ you that!" She looked at her father. "Why won't Mommy believe me?" She paused. "Can I do that eye thingie to make her do whatever I say?" She asked.

"No!" Adrian shook his head, feeling horrified. "You don't do that to your mother! Well, actually you couldn't do it to her even if you wanted to. Well, not unless you're Grandpa, or Uncle Elijah, or Aunt Anna, or any of them."

"Why can't you?" Lenora asked.

"Because she's a witch and witches have immunity to it, or something," Adrian said. "I don't really get it. But even if you _could_ do it, you wouldn't want to because she's your mommy and she loves you."

"Oh," Lenora nodded. "Okay."

Helene came back a few minutes later. "Aunt Lucy said you can come over tonight," she said.

"She did?!" Lenora asked, looking excited. "What time?"

"Seven o'clock," Helene replied.

Lenora looked at the clock, which said twelve-thirty in the afternoon. "That's lots of hours away, isn't it?" She asked Adrian.

"Well, yeah," Adrian nodded. "But until then, you get to spend time with _us_! Won't that be fun?"

Lenora's mouth twisted. "I guess," she said. "If I can turn you into stuff."

Adrian grinned and stood up. "Well, all right," he said. "I'll be a sport. Better me than something valuable, huh?"

"Lenora!" Helene said as she came into the living room just in time to see her daughter try to turn Adrian into a mouse. "What are you doing to your father?!"

"He told me I could turn him into stuff," Lenora replied.

"Well, stop!" Helene said, causing Lenora to pause mid-spell, leaving Adrian sitting on the sofa with mouse ears and whiskers. "Your daddy is _not_ a test subject!" She frowned at her husband and let Lenora change him back the rest of the way. "Adrian, what were you thinking, letting her do that to you?"

"Well, we have to think of _something_ to entertain her!" Adrian said. "I don't think she likes us anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Helene asked.

"Because she asked me how long it would be until she was allowed to go see Lucy and Damon and I told her how many hours it was and she looked upset," Adrian replied.

"I still like you!" Lenora said, running over to him and hugging him. "I'm sorry. Can we play Candyland? I'll even let you be red this time...oh! Or maybe I can bring the pieces to life! That would make things _much _more interesting, wouldn't it, Daddy?" She grabbed his hand and began pulling him toward her bedroom where the games were. Helene watched him be dragged away and then once he was gone, she burst into giggles. Poor Adrian, she thought to herself. But she had to admit that he was a good dad. A _very_ good dad.

* * *

"Here we are!" Helene said when she brought Lenora up to Damon's front door.

"Finally!" Lenora exclaimed. "I've been waiting for this all _day_!"

"I know," Helene said, ruffling Lenora's blonde hair. "You mentioned that a few times."

Lenora reached out to knock on the door, but to her surprise it opened on its own and Damon appeared on the other side. "Hi!" He said, picking her up and spinning her around. "You wanna come in?"

"Yes I do!" Lenora replied.

Damon looked at Helene over Lenora's shoulder. "Thanks for bringing her over," he said.

Helene nodded. "You're welcome. You three have fun and call when she's worn you out and I'll come and pick her up."

"Bye, Mommy," Lenora called as Damon took her inside and shut the door behind them. He put her down and she ran toward Lucy, who was sitting on the sofa. "Mommy knows I'm here this time. She brought me here in the car."

Lucy nodded. "I know that. I talked to her before." She patted the empty seat beside her on the sofa. "You can come sit next to me and watch TV if you want."

Lenora shook her head and gestured at Damon. "Come here," she said. He came to the sofa and she pointed at the spot next to Lucy. "Sit there," she ordered. He sat and then Lucy sat on his other side. "That's better," she said. They watched TV for awhile and then Lenora looked at Damon. "Have you ever pillowfighted?" She asked him.

"Maybe a little," Damon replied. "Why?"

Lenora grabbed a pillow and hit him in the face with it. He stared at her for a few seconds and then got his barings and when she got off the sofa and grinned at him, he grabbed a pillow of his own and swatted her on the bottom with it.

"So are we pillow fighting now?" Lucy asked as Lenora's pillow swung in the air and nearly hit a lamp. "I guess so," she said. "Time out!"

"Why?" Lenora asked, pausing.

"I have to move all the lamps and stuff somewhere else so nothing gets broken," Lucy explained. Once she'd done that, she came back, grabbed a pillow of her own and jumped into the fray.

Things finally ended when Damon came at Lucy and Lucy let go of her pillow and grabbed Lenora, holding her in front of her. "You wouldn't hit a girl holding a child, would you?" She asked. Then, Lenora pointed her finger, making Damon's pillow disappear. "Now he's not even armed," she said. "Let's get him!"

Lucy put Lenora down and they both rushed Damon, pinning him to the floor. "We win!" Lucy cheered. "Yeah," Lenora agreed. We win. What do you have to say about that?"

"Well," he grinned up at Lucy and kissed her. "I say, lucky me."

* * *

Selina heard the little bell over the bakery door ring and looked up for a moment before gasping and trying to hide behind the counter.

"What's the matter with you?" Abby asked. "Are you okay? Do I need Grandma to come and have a look at you?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Your grandmother's friend Elizabeth just walked in. Do you see her?"

"Well, yeah," Abby nodded. "So what?"

"Never mind," Selina said and stood up. "What can I do for you?" She asked as the old woman approached the counter.

"I just came by to look things over, see Edith, and maybe have one of those lovely double chocolate cupcakes that are advertised outside. You _do_ still have some of those, right?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded and pulled one out, still keeping her eyes on the woman. "That'll be a dollar-fifty, please."

Elizabeth paid her and then as Selina backed away from the counter, she said, "My, my, look at you. How far along?"

"Five months," Selina said uneasily. "Why?"

"I'm just curious," Elizabeth told her. "You know, Elijah and I talked about having children of our own. And then it happened, just right before he left me. I had to raise our child alone. You should consider yourself lucky."

"You and Elijah had a child?" Selina asked. "You can't be serious! How in the world did you manage to, you know, raise it and all that, seeing as it was probably a-"

"That's how I know, you see," Elizabeth told her. "That's how I found out the truth about him."

"And the child?" Selina asked. "What happened to it?"

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "A tabloid found out about Kevin and he was taken from me and put on display like an animal. I've tried for years and years to get him back, but I haven't had any success."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Selina said. "Have another cupcake."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, thank you." she said, and left. Selina stood in silence for a moment, then grabbed the remaining dozen chocolate cupcakes, ate them all without taking hardly a breath and then said to a shocked Abby, "Tell you're grandmother that we're closing early tonight, all right?"

"Why?" Abby asked as Selina shut the display case, turned off the lights and ran for the door. "What's going on? Are you gonna be okay?" But she got no response other than the roar of Selina's engine as her car pulled out of the bakery parking lot and drove away.

* * *

Selina came back from the bakery, and walked past Gregory, who reached out for her, and then pouted when she wouldn't pick him up. Then, she ran to the bathroom and promptly threw up.

"What in the world?" Elijah said. "What's the matter with you? I thought you said your morning sickness would be over by now. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Selina emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, pale and tired with dark smudges under her eyes. "This isn't morning sickness," she said. "I ate twelve cupcakes at the bakery and now my stomach is punishing me. And I've got a sugar crash, so I'm tired." She lay down in bed. "I just want to sleep."

"What in the world would make you eat twelve cupcakes in one sitting?" Elijah asked. "Selina, that is not good for you!"

Selina sat up and glared at him. "Don't you think I know that? That ex-fiancee of yours was sniffing around the bakery today, asking me all sorts of questions about the baby and my pregnancy and all that. It made me nervous, so I ate all the special cupcakes, closed the place up early and got the hell out of there. She scares me, Elijah. I don't care if she just looks like a little old lady. She freaks me out." She paused. "And when were you gonna tell me that you and she planned to have a kid?"

"Well, maybe she only came to the bakery to eat cupcakes," Elijah said, rubbing Selina's stomach. "And at her age, it's natural to want to ask questions about a baby. Perhaps she was just making polite conversation and-" Elijah paused, mid-sentence because he'd finally heard her question. "What are you talking about?"

"She told me everything!" Selina said. "She told me that you and she planned to have a kid and she got pregnant just before you left her so she had to raise him by herself, and then she sent him off to be a member of a traveling freakshow or something."

Elijah sank down on the bed. "That can't be right," he said. "She has to be making it up."

"No, she's not!" Selina said insistently. "Last time she was at the bakery before this, she made it clear that she somehow knows you and I are vampires and wants to get our kids away from us so we don't torture them and make them evil! I'm paraphrasing, of course, but that's what she said." Selina paused, sat up, and leaned against Elijah. "Your son was how she found out about what we are." She paused. "Would you call your dad and see if he'll come over tonight? I would feel a lot better if he was here."

Elijah kissed her. "We don't need to call my father to fix this. Just let me handle it and everything will be okay."

"I don't know," Selina said doubtfully. "Maybe we should-"

But he cut her off, kissing her, and helping her out of her clothes. "What you should do," he said, "Is stop talking. Do you think you can do that?"

He removed his pants and Selina, eyes locked on him, said, "Okay..." After they got positioned comfortably, he buried himself inside her and she squealed. "Oh, yes!" she cried. "I should probably enjoy this while I can. Eventually, I'm gonna be too big."

"Not for some months, yet," Elijah said, putting a finger over her lips. "Not for some months yet."

* * *

"Do we _really_ have to go to this dinner thingie?" Roxie asked Vince. "Is it _so_ important?"

"Yes," Vince nodded. "We have to. It was my boss's idea at work and I'm in line for a promotion, so I have to do everything I can to be on his good side."

"Including bringing your incredibly fat wife with you?" Roxie asked, eying her naked body in the mirror. "I mean, what will that prove, really?"

"We've gone over this," Vince said patiently. "My boss really wants the company to start attracting more families and if he sees you, if he knows that we're gonna have kids and stuff, then he'll be more likely to give me the promotion. Okay? Can you do that for me? Can you be sane and civil for a couple of hours? Please?"

"What's in it for me?" Roxie asked.

"The knowledge that you did something nice for your husband," Vince said. "You shouldn't have to get a reward every time you do something that any decent person would have done for free." He threw a dress at her. "Now wear that," he said. "It's not so bad."

"You know I would do whatever I could in my power to make you look good under normal circumstances, Vince, but this is not a dress. It is a circus tent!" Roxie groaned. "_And_ it's tacky!" She eyed the large, sparkly silver dress with dismay. "I put this one and I will look like a disco ball! And it's got a bow on the back that says 'here's my giant butt, please take a look'."

"You'll look fine," Vince said through his teeth. "Just put it on!"

Rolling her eyes and groaning, Roxie put on the dress. Vince helped her zip it, then she looked in the mirror one last time and burst into tears as Vince hurried her out to the car.

When they reached the restaurant where the dinner was being held, they parked in the parking lot and Vince gave Roxie a tissue. "I'm sorry if I seem a bit insensitive," he said. "But I really can't afford to mess this up."

"I know," Roxie said, dabbing at her eyes. "And because of that, I'll do my best to be good. But the second anyone mentions something about me being fat, I'm out of there!"

"They won't say that," Vince assured her. "These are professional people. They know how to exercise tact."

Roxie took a deep breath and followed Vince into the restaurant where his boss, a distinguished-looking, silver-haired man in a suit met them at the door. "So you brought your lovely wife, how delightful!" He said. He grinned. "You don't know how eager I've been to meet you. I'm your husband's boss, Mr. Albright." He looked down at Roxie's stomach. "So, when are you due?"

"In four months," Roxie said. "Although frankly, I wouldn't mind if they came out right now. My back is killing me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "Let me show you to your seats." As he led them to their table, they were all stopped by a brown-haired main, a woman wearing pearls, a red dress and an expensive hairdo, and a small boy. "Albright!" The man said, shaking Mr. Albright's hand. "Who do we have here?" The man looked at Vince.

"This is Vince Talbot," Mr. Albright said. "He's in line to be the next idea man. We brought him here tonight to see if he would fit with all the family accounts."

The little boy chuckled. "You're fat!" he said to Roxie.

"Ryan!" His mother said. "You don't say things like that to people." She looked at Roxie apologetically. "Sorry about that," she said.

"It's okay," Roxie said through her teeth. "The little darling probably doesn't know what he's saying." Once they'd left, though, she whispered to Vince, "Can I kill that little brat?"

"No," Vince whispered back. "He's the son of one of the company's biggest clients. Just shrug it off and move on."

Roxie scowled but sat down and was very well-behaved, except for when she passed by Ryan and accidently-on-purpose knocked his milk into his lap, staining his suit. "Hey!" Ryan cried. "She did that on purpose!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Roxie said. "I'm so clumsy sometimes."

"Don't worry about it," his mother said. "It's not a problem at all."

When Ryan looked at her again, she stuck her tongue out at him and then went back to her table. "And just what was that about?" Vince asked her.

"Nothing," Roxie said. "Ryan spilled his milk in his lap and thought it would be cute to blame me just because I was walking by."

Just then, she heard a bunch of giggling coming from the other side of the room. Kids were rising from their tables and coming toward her. "Ryan was right," one of them said. "She _is_ fat!" One of the kids grabbed the butter off the table and threw it at her. Then, a bowl of spaghetti and a piece of pie before their parents finally got them under control. "We were just trying to see if any of it would bounce off her stomach!" Once of the boys said when questioned about his actions by his livid mother. By then, Roxie was covered in goo and her lip was trembling. "I think we should go," she said. "Vince, please take me home."

"All right," Vince nodded and took her hand. As he led her out of the restaurant, Mr. Albright ran after them, muttering apologies and he told Vince the promotion was his.

"Never mind, Mr. Albright," Vince said. "I won't be needing it. In fact, consider this my two weeks' notice." Then he and Roxie strode from the restaurant and drove home.

But in the months that followed, the kids' comments stayed with Roxie. She became more determined than ever to have the babies. She began looking up ways to induce labor. She ordered pills that promised miracle results off the internet and began eating them like candy.

Finally, early one morning two months after the incident at the restaurant, Roxie woke up with a sharp pain in her stomach, and looked down with a shriek. Her side of the bed was covered with blood.

"Oh, my god!" Vince said when he saw. "We need to get you to Enids..._now._" They cleaned her up as best they could and drove to Enid's with Roxie screaming all the way.

"It's time, isn't it?" Enid asked when she met them at the door.

Vince nodded. "A little early, but it's time."

Enid hustled Roxie behind the bar where pillows, blankets and a mattress had already been laid out. Roxie lay down on them and Enid gave her something to dull the pain while she cut Roxie open and took the babies out. The first one came out yelling. "Which one is that?" Roxie asked. "Addie or Joey?"

"Addison," Enid said, and then handed her to Roxie for a moment. Roxie looked down at the little girl, who opened her eyes and stared at her for a little bit before Enid took her and cleaned her off, handing her to Vince. Several minutes later, and Roxie heard no sound, although Enid had already taken out the second baby. She looked down sorrowfully at the baby's still, blue little body, holding on as long as she could before she burst into tears.

"What?" Roxie asked. "You took Joey out, didn't you?"

"Yes," Enid nodded. "But Roxie...Roxie, Vince, he's dead. I'm sorry."


	11. The Boy Who Lives

Eventually, Enid was able to send Vince and Roxie home, even though Roxie was crying, and clutching Addison tightly and Vince looked like he _wanted _to cry.

"So what are you going to do now?" Hazel asked, suddenly appearing next to Enid, who was looking at Joey sorrowfully. "You're going to bury the little boy, I hope."

Enid looked at her sister in horror. "How can you _say_ that? He's just a baby. You saw how upset Vince and Roxie were when they left. I can take the pain away."

Hazel pushed her blonde bangs out of her eyes and eyed her sister severely. "You know that's not right, Enid. People die for a reason. You can't just go around resurrecting anyone you want."

They stood in silence a moment and then Enid said, "All right, Hazel. I'll bury him. I promise."

Hazel nodded. "You should. You're doing the right thing, trust me. You know as well as I do that despite Roxanne's tears, it really_ is _best if she only raises one child at a time. For Addison's sake and her own."

"Just _go_," Enid said tersely. "You've made your point, now leave me alone!"

Hazel put a hand on her sister's shoulder and then disappeared.

Enid looked down at Joey and said, "Don't worry. I'm not going to let you die." She put a finger on Joey's heart and suddenly, the baby started crying loudly. "There now," Enid said. "Isn't that better? Now all we have to do is get you stronger and you'll be back with your mommy and daddy just in time for their first anniversary." She paused. "That reminds me..." She went to a mirror and changed her appearance, so she looked like Roxie instead of herself. "There you go," she said, picking Joey up. "We wouldn't want you to be confused about who your mommy is, now would we?"

* * *

When Roxie and Vince reached home, Roxie took Addie to her room. "Are you gonna come too?" She called to Vince.

Vince shook his head. "No," he said. "I don't think I will. I think I just need to be left alone for awhile."

Roxie put Addie in her room and then ran after him. "I know we're both upset by what happened, but we can't just shut ourselves away because we're upset. We have to talk about this. We have to be together and support the only child we have left." She grabbed Vince's arm and he pushed her away. "Get off me!" He snapped. "What part of 'I just need to be left alone' don't you understand?"

"All of it!" Roxie said. "How is being alone supposed to help you get through this? You need someone to support you and tell you that things are gonna be okay and that none of this is your fault!"

"No," Vince shook his head. "That's what _you_ think you need, Roxie. Because you know in your heart that the reason Joey died is because you couldn't stop yourself from taking those stupid labor-inducing pills. Did it ever occur to you that something could go wrong with those? Did it?" He shook his head. "Even if it _had_, you wouldn't have listened. All you gave a damn about was your appearance. Yeah, you put on pounds when you were pregnant, but so what? Every woman does! But those are important because they help the baby grow and stay alive! Couldn't you have waited two fucking months for them to come out? No, obviously not because all you care about is yourself. You can't even put that aside for the welfare of your children and that's just sad!"

"May I remind you that having kids was your idea in the first place?" Roxie asked, feeling stung. "I don't know _why_ you expected anything different than this to happen."

"Because I thought you would have grown up by now," Vince said. "Obviously, I was was wrong! And this is the last straw, all right? I'm done patting you on the head and telling you that all of your selfish behavior is okay. I won't do it anymore. I won't. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and be alone."

"Fine!" Roxie yelled after him. "You're stupid and wrong and I don't need you anyway. Addie and I are perfectly all right by ourselves."

"I don't know if I want you taking her out by yourself," Vince said. "You might kill _her_ too!"

"I will _not_!" Roxie replied. "I can handle it and you are so full of it and stupid if you think I can't!"

"You already called me stupid," Vince said. "Can't you think of any better insults than that?"

Roxie threw her hands up. "You know what?" She said. "I don't have to listen to this anymore. If you want to be alone, then you can be alone. That's totally all right with me." She strode to Addie's bedroom, put clothes and diapers in a bag and then picked up Addie. "We're leaving!" She said. "I'd tell you where we were going, but I doubt you'd care."

"You're right, I won't!" Vince said, refusing to meet her eyes. "Goodbye!"

Roxie scoffed and put Addie in her carrier, then took her out to the car and climbed in the driver's seat. She put her hands on the steering wheel and stared out the windshield for a few seconds before she burst into tears. "It's not my fault!" she whispered angrily. "It's not my fault! If the pills had anything to do with this, then both of them would have been dead! Addie's tiny, but she's not dead. What happened with Joey was just bad luck that had nothing to do with me." She lay her forehead against the steering wheel for a moment, hot tears running down her cheeks until Addie's cries brought her back to herself.

"It's all right," she said, climbing in the backseat, removing her shirt and feeding her daughter. "It's gonna be okay. See? We're good right now."

Addie stopped crying and locked eyes with her. When she'd finally had enough, Roxie put her shirt back on, got Addie strapped in again and finally, after taking several deep breaths, managed to back out of the garage and drive away from the house. After pondering where to go for a few minutes, she decided to go see her mother. She figured Selina could use the good news and help her with the bad.

* * *

"Oh, my god," Selina said when she opened the door in response to the knock and saw Roxie on the other side. "What are you doing with that baby, Roxanne?"

"This is _my_ baby," Roxie said quietly. "This is Addie."

"Oh, it is?" Selina asked. "Well, why don't you come in? There's no use in the two of you being out here."

Roxie came in and sat down on the sofa. A tear fell down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly, hoping her mother hadn't seen it.

"So, how is it that you have her now?" Selina asked. "You got pregnant around the same time I did and for god's sake, look at me!"

Roxie shut her eyes tight. "I don't know if I can answer that yet," she said.

"What do you mean?" Selina asked. "Did something happen? You can tell me."

Tears spilled again as Roxie said, "I screwed up, Mom. I really, _really_ screwed up. See, two months ago, Vince and I went to this dinner that his boss was throwing. He told me that I had to behave myself because his boss was thinking about giving him a promotion. I tried to be good, but then this bratty little kid called me fat and a bunch of other kids started throwing food at me and I just...I just lost it. I couldn't stand being so fat, so I...I started taking supplements and stuff that promised they would make me go into labor earlier."

Selina's eyes widened. "Roxanne, what were you thinking? You shouldn't do that under any circumstances!"

Roxie nodded. "I know that, Mom! Don't you think I know that? Anyway, I woke up and my part of the bed was covered with blood and so Vince drove me to Enid's and Enid decided that the best thing for the babies would be for me to have them early. She cut me open and pulled Addie out and she was tiny, but fine. And then, when she pulled our little boy out...She told Vince and me he was _dead!" _She handed Addie to Selina just in time for a big breakdown. She began sobbing in earnest, which made Addie start crying too.

"What in the world is going on in here?" Elijah asked. Selina turned. "Roxie just needs to cry herself out," she told him, cuddling Addie against her.

"Why?" Elijah asked.

Selina sighed. "She lost one of the twins. The little boy." She held up Addie. "Here's the other one."

"Oh," Elijah said. His voice was subdued. He came and put a hand on Roxie's shoulder. "Roxanne, I am _so_ sorry." Roxie looked up at him for a moment, then threw herself in his arms and continued to sob.

"And that's only the beginning," she sniffled when she could finally get a breath. "Vince says that what happened to Joey is my fault! He just refuses to consider any other options. He doesn't know for certain it was my fault. I mean, it's a possibility, I don't deny it. But to blame me completely is just so, so-"

"Don't be too hard on him," Selina advised. "He's just as broken up about this as you are, and he knows in the deepest part of himself that he might never have a definite answer about why Joey died. Blaming you for the moment is a coping mechanism. It gives him an answer even if that answer isn't accurate."

"So he'll get over it eventually?" Roxie asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Just give him time, let him process, and then eventually he'll realize that the best way to heal from Joey's loss is to spend time with you and Addie rather than just being by himself. I don't know how long that will take, though."

"When you were growing up, babies died all the time, right?" Roxie asked Selina.

"Yeah," Selina said. "Well, maybe not _all the time_, but with a greater frequency than they do now. My mother had two or three miscarriages when I was growing up and that was one of the reasons why my stepfather was such a jerk to her. He was a very insecure man and it just angered him to no end that he had to live in a house with another man's child and he couldn't father any living children of his own. But that was for the best. He was horrible and didn't deserve to have children." She looked at Roxie guiltily. "But I digress."

Roxie sighed. "It's all right, Mom. You tried, anyway. And I feel _a little _better."

"I know what might help," Elijah said. He left Roxie and Selina and came back a few minutes later, holding Gregory. Then he plunked him down in Roxie's lap. "There you go," he said.

"Do I get to keep him?" Roxie asked, half-joking. "Are you giving him to me?"

"Well, no," Elijah said. "But you can come over and see him whenever you want. And you can bring Vince too, when he's ready. I know it's not the same as having a boy of your own but it's something."

Roxie nodded. "Thank you," she said quietly and almost broke down again when Gregory cuddled against her. "And to think, when I first saw him, I was mean to him," she said quietly. But Gregory seemed to have forgiven her.

"So, how long until you have yours?" Roxie asked Selina.

"My due date is around my birthday, Halloween," Selina said. "Well, that's what Astrid said anyway. And as fun as it would be to share my birthday, the day itself is a bit inconvenient, because Alistair and Astrid are gonna be out of town at their witch convention thing, so if I go into labor, Astrid won't be able to help me."

"You could always go see Enid," Roxie said. "You've done it before."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I know that. But Enid makes your uncle uncomfortable, so that's why we called Astrid when Gregory was born."

"If there was no other choice, I wouldn't mind Enid delivering our baby, but you have to admit, it's not exactly charming to have to admit to your child that they were born in a bar," Elijah said. "I would prefer not to have that discussion."

"Adrian was born at the bar," Roxie said. "He knows that and it doesn't bother him."

"Well, Adrian is not my child, is he?" Elijah asked.

Roxie finally managed a small smile. "My god," she said. "You are such a _snob_! It won't necessarily bother your kid to hear that she was born in a bar, but it will bother you to tell her, won't it?"

Elijah stiffened. "I don't see anything wrong with insisting that my child be born in a clean, safe environment. If that makes me a snob, I will gladly accept that." He sniffed.

Roxie reached for Addie. "I can take her now, Mom," she said.

"If you want, you can stay here until you and Vince sort out things between the two of you," Selina said.

"Thanks," Roxie said. "But I think that would be a bit much, I mean, you've got Gregory, and soon you're gonna have another baby, and to put Addie and me in with that, well, I would feel like I was intruding." She gently removed Addie from Selina's arms and cuddled her again.

"Well, if you don't stay here, then where will you go?" Selina asked.

"I don't know," Roxie sighed. "But I'll find a place."

* * *

Roxie looked up at the front door of her father's house. "I can't believe this is what I've been reduced to," she said. "It's going to kill me." But then she looked down at Addie. "I'm only doing this for you," she said. "I don't want you to grow up in the streets."

Taking a deep breath, she put Addie's bag over her shoulder and picked up her carrier, then knocked on the front door. As she suspected would happen, Caroline was the one who answered the door.

"Oh, my god, you have a baby!" Caroline said. "Did you bring her over to visit? I thought you were having two babies."

"I did," Roxie said, her eyes narrowed. "But the other one died, okay? Can I just come in without talking about it?"

"Oh," Caroline said, blushing a little. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. Sure, come in."

"Thank you," Roxie said and followed Caroline inside. "Pick any room you want," Caroline told her. "It's not like we're using them."

"And to answer what will probably be your next question, my husband and I are fighting at the moment because he thinks that our son dying is my fault and he said he needed some time alone, so I thought it would be best if I left for a bit," Roxie said.

"You didn't have to tell me that," Caroline said. "It's none of my business." She opened a door that led into a bedroom with the walls painted burnished gold with a large, white canopy bed. "Will this work for you?" She asked. "I'll go get something for Addie."

"How could you have something for Addie?" Roxie asked. "I just got here!"

"Well, you would have come visit us eventually, wouldn't you?" Caroline asked. "It never hurts to be prepared." She left and shut the door behind her, rendering Roxie speechless for a few seconds before she got down on her knees next to Addie. "Well, that was fairly painless," she said. "But you just wait until my dad shows up. It'll be worse. But in a good way."

She took Addie in her arms again and waited. She was changing Addie when she heard the knock on her bedroom door. "Just a minute!" She yelled, her nose wrinkling as she threw the old diaper in the extra trash can Caroline had brought her and put another one on. "I am _definitely_ having your daddy do this when he likes me again." She managed to get Addie into another dress and then cleared her throat. "Come in!" She said.

Klaus came in a few seconds later. "Caroline told me you were here," he said. "What happened?"

"Who said anything happened?" Roxie asked. "Can't a person just come and visit?"

"Give me more credit than that please, Roxanne," Klaus said. "I want to know why you're here. Not that I'm not thrilled, but if you're having a problem-"

"Did Caroline tell you that Vince and I are having a problem?" Roxie asked. "Because she said it was none of her business."

"What was none of her business?" Klaus asked.

Roxie sighed. "We lost the other baby," she said. "And Vince is having trouble dealing with it, so I thought it would be best to leave him alone for awhile. Mom and Uncle Elijah offered to take me and Addie in, but I figured if you added us into that house along with Gregory who's not even two and the other baby that they're gonna have, it would be too much, so I declined the offer and told Mom I'd be able to find somewhere else to stay."

"And you came to me?" Klaus asked. "Roxanne, I'm touched."

Roxie nodded. "Yeah, well...you're welcome. And it's me who should be thanking you."

Klaus shook his head. "You won't be an imposition," he said. "You don't have to thank me. I'm happy to do it. In fact, now that you're staying, you should probably go call your mother so that she knows you're all right."

Roxie nodded and then looked at Addie. "Would you mind watching her for a minute or two while I call Mom?"

"Of course," Klaus said. Roxie left and went to call her mother, leaving her father and daughter alone.

As soon as Roxie was gone, Klaus looked down at Addie. "It doesn't surprise me that you lived," he said. "Your mother is strong and so are you." He took Addie's little hand and kissed it noting kind of sadly how the dress she was wearing was almost too big for her. When Roxie came back, he let Addie go only reluctantly.

"Mom knows now," Roxie said. "She told me she was glad I called. I tried to call Vince too, but he didn't answer the phone. I guess it's too soon. I'll try again in a few days."

"Or I could go over to your house and have a chat with him," Klaus said. "All you have to do is say the word, Roxanne."

"That's sweet," Roxie said. "But I really don't think it would help anything. I'll be able to manage, really."

"If you say so," Klaus said, looking a little let down. He'd really been looking forward to giving Vince a piece of his mind.

* * *

Vince stared at the empty outlet that had once held the phone jack. How hard was it for Roxie to leave him alone? Very hard, obviously. She was upset, he knew that, but so was he and he didn't have the energy to be there for her at the moment. Sighing, he began walking restlessly through the house until he reached the blue-painted room that would have been Joey's. Steeling himself, he walked inside and sat down in the white rocking chair near the empty crib. Then, he stood up, walked a couple of steps, stared into the eyes of the smiling teddy bears and other stuffed animals he and Roxie had bought, and broke down, clutching the crib with all his might and leaving a dent in it. Finally, he reached into the crib and picked up the folded baby blanket to wipe his eyes with, then took it to bed with him 'cause he knew that somehow, it was the only thing that would help him sleep.

* * *

"So, are you ready to go out?" Matthew asked when he met Enid at the door of the club the next night. She'd turned back to her regular appearance.

"I hate to say this," Enid said apologetically. "But we won't be able to go out. Something has come up."

"Oh," Matthew nodded. "All right, I get it. Maybe some other time then."

"We don't necessarily have to scrap our entire date," Enid said. "Although what I'm about to show you will probably make you think I'm insane and that you want to end things, but I'm going to show you anyway. You wanna come in?"

"Sure," Matthew nodded. "And listen, I think I can handle whatever you throw at me. I mean, I got turned into a vampire, buried alive, turned my wife into a vampire, and had to kill my daughter so she could turn again..long story, it's hard to explain, but-"

"Oh!" Enid nodded knowingly. "Was that the time where Selina got bitten by her cousin while she was still a vampire and got turned human and stabbed? She told me about that once. What you did was very brave."

"Well, thank you," Matthew said, looking surprised. "I had no idea she talked about that."

"She brought it up in order to illustrate how great you were," Enid said.

"Now," Matthew said, looking a little embarrassed. "What have you got going on?"

Enid led him to the room in her apartment where she was keeping Joey. "This is what's going on," she said. "Isn't he cute? I have a feeling he's gonna look just like his mom."

"Lucky him," Matthew said. "You're very pretty."

"Oh, no!" Enid said. "Thank you, but he's not _my_ baby. He's your granddaughter Roxie's baby. He was stillborn and when she found out, she was so upset that I just couldn't let him stay dead."

Matthew looked shocked. "You mean, he _was_ dead and now he's not?" he asked. "You can just bring people back to life in the blink of an eye?"

"Yes, I can," Enid said. "But I'm not supposed to. It ruins the balance of things, supposedly, and if my sister found out what I did, I'd be in big trouble. And so would Joey, and maybe even Joey's sister, Addie. So do you think you could do me a favor and keep this to yourself?"

"Sure," Matthew nodded. "Sure, I won't say a word."

Enid nodded. "Good. So, what do you want to do tonight? Take-out and a movie?"


	12. Shades of Lonely Heart

Selina looked up as the bell rang over the door of the bakery. When she saw who it was, she let out a groan. "Hello, Elizabeth."

"Well, it's nice to see you too," Elizabeth said.

"If you came to see Edith, she's not here," Selina said through her teeth. "She had to run to the grocery story to get milk and eggs."

"I didn't come here to see Edith," Elizabeth said, leaning closer to her. "I came here to see you. To continue the little discussion we had before you and your friend saw fit to throw me out of here."

Selina cleared her throat. "Well, if you don't mind, I don't care to discuss that anymore, so I would appreciate it if you left it alone."

"You wonder, don't you?" Elizabeth asked. "You wonder if I made up that story about having a child with Elijah just to get under your skin."

Selina nodded. "That's _exactly_ what I think you did."

Elizabeth smirked. "It's not a lie. Kevin really does exist."

"All right then," Selina said. "Where is he? Bring him here and show him to me right now and I'll believe you."

"I can't exactly do that," Elizabeth said, averting her eyes. "Kevin and I lost touch a long time ago. He doesn't even call me anymore."

"Well, isn't that convenient?" Selina asked, coming out from behind the counter to back Elizabeth up against the nearby wall. "You lord this son that you and Elijah supposedly had over my head and when I ask you to produce him or find some way to prove his existence, you backpedal and say that's not possible."

"Well, I'm sorry if that upsets you," Elizabeth said, locking eyes on her. "But it's the truth. And don't you try compelling me to make sure I'm not lying. I'm wearing vervain. It won't work."

"How do you know about vervain?" Selina asked.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Elizabeth asked her. "After Kevin was born and I realized what he was, I did all the research I could to protect myself. I thought Elijah would come back for him and I had to be ready."

"Is that why you sent Kevin away?" Selina asked, feeling sick to her stomach. "Because he was an abomination and you didn't want to have to deal with him?"

"Well, no!" Elizabeth said. "But-"

"You sold him to a circus freakshow!" Selina said. "What kind of a mother would do that to her child? You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Oh, don't act so high and mighty!" Elizabeth said. "If you'd been in my position, you would have done the same thing."

"No, I wouldn't have," Selina said, her eyes narrowed. She grabbed Elizabeth by the arms and gave her a rough shake, then pushed her against the wall.

"Help!" Elizabeth cried. "Help! She's hurting me!"

"Just a minute, Elizabeth!" Abby said. "I'll save you!" The younger girl tried to get Selina off of Elizabeth, but was of course, unsuccessful. Selina managed to lock eyes with her. "Go back into the kitchen, Abby," she said. "Or better yet," she pulled out a five dollar bill from the cash register and handed it to her. "Go out and get yourself an ice cream. You deserve it for working so hard."

"All right," Abby said and left. Selina looked around the empty store and breathed a sigh of relief before turning her attention back to Elizabeth. "I oughta kill you right now," Selina said. "I'm awfully hungry. I haven't fed from a breathing person since I don't know when and you seem like just the person to satisfy my hunger." She grabbed Elizabeth by the hair and pushed her head back, exposing her neck and biting down, sucking greedily with Elizabeth struggling against her the entire time. Soon, the old woman was drained and Selina lowered her body to the floor, thankful that she wasn't smart enough to actually have ingested vervain so it would be in her bloodstream. That would have been a big problem, but no worries. She looked down at her blood-spattered dress and went into the bathroom to check out her face. She groaned. She couldn't call Elijah looking like this. She'd have to call someone else to bring her home to clean up, someone much more understanding.

She picked up her phone and dialed. "Nicky?" She asked when Klaus answered the phone. "I've had a problem at the bakery. Things are a little messy. Could you come and pick me up?"

* * *

"Who was that?" Stefan asked when Klaus hung up his phone.

"Just Selina," Klaus said. "Apparently things are messy at the bakery and she needs me to come and pick her up."

"Why did she call you?" Stefan asked. "Why couldn't she have just called Elijah?"

"I don't know," Klaus said with a grin. "But I suspect that whatever mess she's gotten herself into, it's something that she doesn't want Elijah to know about. Perhaps she's killed someone. That would be a nice break in the monotony of the day, wouldn't it?"

Stefan nodded. "You wouldn't mind if I came along, would you?"

Klaus shook his head. "Of course not, Stefan. The more the merrier, I always say." They left the house together, Klaus telling leaving a note for Roxie and Caroline that he was going out, and then they drove to the bakery and stepped inside, staring in awe at the blood spattered on every possible surface. A struggle had clearly taken place here.

"Selina, love?" Klaus called. "Are you here? Are you all right?"

Selina stumbled into the main room with Elizabeth's blood down her dress and all over her mouth.

Klaus saw Selina and stopped in his tracks. "My, my," he said. "What happened to you?"

Selina shrugged. "I killed someone, but it doesn't bother me."

"Who was it?" Klaus asked, looking interested.

"Elizabeth," Selina said testily. "I killed Elizabeth."

A grin broke out over Klaus' face. "Oh, yes," he said. "Anna did mention that Elijah has reacquainted himself with his former fiancee and that you're not too happy about it."

"So I'm _supposed_ to be?" Selina asked grumpily. "I don't think so. I shouldn't have to put up with this." She gave Stefan a look. "Do _you_ think I should have to put up with that, Stefan?"

Stefan looked at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. "Look at that, Nik," he said to Klaus. "Shades of Lonely Heart. Did you ever think you'd see her again?"

"This is nothing like when I was Lonely Heart," Selina said through her teeth. "It's completely different!"

"Oh, really?" Stefan asked. "Did you kill someone today?"

"Yes!" Selina nodded. "That's why I called Nicky to come over! I can't let Elijah see all this! I thought he would be more understanding."

"And you think I wouldn't be?" Stefan asked. "Well, that's friendly. But the fact of the matter is, when you were Lonely Heart, you killed women that your boyfriends cheated on you with, right? Elizabeth was Elijah's ex-fiancee. Could it be that you felt just a smidgeon of jealousy toward her and you let grow until it finally exploded and you killed her to get her out of the way?"

"I did _not_ kill her because of Elijah," Selina said. "I killed her because she said horrible things about her son and was unrepentant about the fact that she sold him away to the circus as a child. That, and I was really hungry and needing something more than a blood bag, but that's all!"

"Sure," Stefan said with a smirk. "Whatever you say." He paused. "Where's the body? Judging from the amount of blood all over this place, you fought until the last drop, didn't you?"

"In the walk-in freezer," Selina said. "And we have to get it out quick. Edith and Abby could be back here any minute!"

Klaus and Stefan followed Selina into the walk-in freezer and the two of them lugged Elizabeth's body out in a smaller cooler while Selina walked behind them. "Let's put it in your car, Nicky," Selina suggested. "That way we can take it to a field or something somewhere and bury it." They got it out of the store and Selina moved the sign on the front of the door to "Closed," leaving Abby and Edith a note that said she'd had an emergency to tend to, so they were free to have the next couple of days off. Then she locked the door and she and Stefan and Klaus drove off, looking for a suitable place to bury Elizabeth's body.

* * *

The phone rang and Damon picked it up immediately. "Hello?" He said. "Lucy, where are you?"

Lucy laughed. "How did you know it was me?"

"I kinda hoped it would be you," he said. "So, what's up?"

"Nothing," Lucy said. "Well, actually something. I'm on a break, so I decided to take a little trip. To a place called Lozere. It's in south-central France. I'm gonna leave in a day or two."

"Why are you going there?" Damon asked.

"It's something of a mystery," Lucy said. "The locals say they have a bit of a werewolf problem. I wanna check it out, seeing as I've been out of the werewolf loop my entire life."

"Don't you think that's precisely why you shouldn't go?" Damon asked. "What if you get hurt? I'm not gonna be there to save you this time."

"Would you relax?" Lucy asked. "It's just a story. There probably aren't even any werewolves there at all."

"Yeah, but do you really want to take a chance?" Damon asked.

"Yes," Lucy replied. "I do want to take a chance. I promise I won't get hurt. I promise I'll be careful, I-"

"Hello?" Just then, a small voice interrupted her. "Hi! Who's on the phone? Damon, you said we were gonna play hide and seek!"

"Lenora?" Damon asked. "What in the world are you doing? Hang up!"

"Who are you talking to?" Lenora wanted to know.

"Hi, Lenora," Lucy said. "I was just telling Damon about the trip I'm gonna take."

"Oh," Lenora said. "Will you get me a present? Something really shiny?"

"Sure," Lucy said. "Why not?"

"She will _not_ get you a present cause she's _not_ gonna go," Damon said.

"How are you gonna stop me?" Lucy asked. "Fly down here and lock me in my room?"

"I just might," Damon said. "I just might."

"Are you two fighting?" Lenora asked.

"No, Lenora we're _not_ fighting," Damon said, feeling his good humor begin to fail him. "Your aunt and I are just having a nice discussion about a vacation she's gonna take. Now, will you please get off the phone?"

"Why?" Lenora asked. "I wanna talk too!"

"You and I will talk later," Lucy said patiently. "Now Damon and I want to have a conversation by ourselves, all right?"

"Okay," Lenora said grumpily and hung the phone up.

"Good," Lucy said. "She's gone. Now, where were we?"

"You were just about to tell me that you were going to go somewhere dangerous just to spite me," Damon said. "That's where we were!"

"Well, I don't like that," Lucy said. "I think we should go someplace nicer. So...what are you wearing?"

"Oh, no," Damon shook his head. "Don't you start that, Lucy!"

"All right," Lucy said. "If you won't tell me what you're wearing, I'll tell you what _I'm_ wearing. Not that there's much to talk about." She giggled. "It's amazing how skimpy the bathing suits are around here," she said. "I bought one at the store the other day and it just leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination whatsoever. I don't wear it to the pool, of course, because I don't want other men getting ideas. But sometimes, when the mood hits me, I'll put it on and go on the roof when no one is around...and think of you. I'll think about you for quite sometime. And usually by the time I'm done thinking about you, I'm not even wearing my bathing suit anymore. You've really been helpful with getting me a full tan this summer."

"Are you wearing it now?" Damon asked curiously. "The bathing suit, I mean?" He was trying to control his breathing.

"No," Lucy said. "I was actually just about to get in the shower. I'm standing in the bathroom with a towel on, so of course that made me think of you, and then I realized we hadn't talked for a week or two, so-"

"I'm wearing a pink dress!" Lenora broke in.

"Lenora, I thought we told you to get off the phone!" Damon said, the sound of her voice shocking him back to his senses.

"But you're playing a game and I wanna play too, since you and I aren't playing hide and go seek!" Lenora said.

"Fine," Damon told her. "We'll play hide and go seek if you get off the phone."

"Okay!" Lenora said brightly. "Bye-bye, Aunt Lucy!"

"Goodbye, Lenora," Lucy said.

"Sorry about that," Damon told her. "It seems I have no choice but to play hide and go seek." He sighed.

"What if I called you again tonight when you're at home and tell you more about my bathing suit?" Lucy asked. "Would you like that?"

"Oh, yes," Damon nodded. "I'd like that very much. I'd also like to hear that you don't intend to go to that werewolf place all by yourself."

"Oh, I intend to," Lucy said. "But I'll call you every day so you can be sure I'm not dead. Is that a good compromise?"

"I suppose," Damon said.

"Good," Lucy told him. "You and Lenora have fun now. I'm gonna get in the shower."

"You know what would be more fun?" Damon asked. "If I were in the shower with you."

"That's true," Lucy said. "And it will happen. You just have to be patient, which I know is easier said then done, but you can do it. You made it through the first half of the year, right?"

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "I guess."

"Well, then just keep thinking the same thoughts that got you through the first half of the year and maybe get yourself a date or two," Lucy told him. "Remember, I don't mind."

Damon groaned. "It doesn't help," he said.

"Well, I'm sorry," Lucy said. "But I don't know what else to tell you."

"How about 'I'm coming home early from Europe and here's the time I need to be picked up from the airport'?" Damon asked.

But before Lucy could reply, the phone flew out of his grasp and back into the cradle, and he looked over and saw Lenora frowning at him with her hands on her hips.

"All right, all right," Damon said. "You hide and I'll seek." She ran off and Damon sat down in the recliner in the living room and turned on the television, actually thinking, for just a short while, that he wouldn't look for Lenora at all.

* * *

Selina strode into the living room with Elizabeth's blood down her dress.

"What in the world...?" Elijah asked when he saw her.

"She pushed me too far and now she's dead," Selina said shortly. She sat down on the sofa and watched him. "What? No lecture? I thought you'd have plenty to say about this: 'Killing people is bad', 'You should learn to control yourself', 'you have no reason to be jealous of Elizabeth'." She smirked, sitting down on the sofa. "What do you expect me to do? Cry waterfalls of regret because I'm afraid you're not gonna like me anymore in light of this? I'm not gonna do that. I'm pregnant, she pissed me off, I killed her, shit happens."

Elijah's mouth was opening and closing but no words were coming out. Selina narrowed her eyes at him. "You're lucky I'm more evolved now because if I wasn't, I would have done something dumb like try and kill you by now." She tried to get off the sofa, but couldn't. "A little help, please?" She asked.

Elijah rolled his eyes and pulled her to her feet, then she stalked off to the bedroom to changr out of her blood-soaked dress. Technically, she could have changed at Klaus', but she wanted to see the look on Elijah's face when he saw how stained her dress was. Once she was gone, Elijah sighed. "'Two more months," he whispered to himself. "Just two more months." He sat alone in the living room for awhile and then, steeling himself, walked to his and Selina's bedroom door and knocked. "Can I come in?" He called.

"Sure," Selina said quietly. "If you want to."

He opened the door and saw Selina sitting on the bed. He strode over and sat next to her. "Are you all right?" He asked her.

"Please don't make me feel bad for what I did," Selina said. "It just happened, okay? It's not like I consciously decided to kill her or anything, even though Stefan thinks I did. Something about this being similar to what I did when I was Lonely Heart. But it's really not the same."

Elijah looked her in the eye. "I don't think I need to talk any more about this," he said. "Because it seems you feel bad enough now? Am I right?"

Selina sighed. "Well, yes and no. Yes. No. She was an old lady. You and she had a thing and she shouldn't have had to die for that. But I gotta eat somehow. It's just a fact of the matter."

Elijah opened his mouth, but Selina cut him off.

"Yes, I know I could have called and asked you for blood bags, but sometimes, they just aren't enough. Sometimes, albeit very rarely, I need at least one free range person. I don't know what it is about their blood, but it just-it helps." She sighed. "Two more months," she said, putting her head on his shoulder. "Thank god that's all."

* * *

"I just thought of something for us to do," Stefan said to Klaus. "And I think you'll be proud of me."

"Oh, yes?" Klaus asked. "And what's that?"

"Well, remember when we were at the bakery with Selina and she was listing all those fake reasons about why she killed Elizabeth?"

Klaus nodded.

"Do you recall her mentioning that Elizabeth and Elijah had a son and that Elizabeth sent him to a circus sideshow?"

Klaus looked up and grinned. "What are you suggesting, Stefan?"

Stefan shrugged. "I just think that it would be a kind act on our parts to try and locate this kid. I mean, obviously Elijah never knew about him, which means that he grew up without a father, and who knows what that's like more than us?"

"Ah," Klaus nodded. "I see your point. We should definitely do something to remedy that. Only problem is, we don't know what circus to go to, or even if he's still there. And Elizabeth is dead, so she can't tell us. I guess that means it's just going to take a little longer."

Stefan nodded. "But that's all right. We can handle that."

Anna came in. "What are you boys thinking? Nothing too bad, I hope. Unless of course I get to be included. Then it can be as bad as you want."

Stefan took her in his lap. "Oh, it's nothing, really. We were just thinking of taking a trip to the circus. Wanna come with us?"


	13. Lost Boys

"Can't we just go home?" Anna asked grumpily as she and Caroline plodded after Klaus and Stefan. "This is like the fifth circus we've been to!"

"Nope, sorry," Stefan told them. "We got front row seats for this one, and do you _really_ want to give them up?"

"Yes," Caroline grumbled. "Let's scalp 'em and then we'll have enough money to get back home. You can only see the greatest show on earth so many times before it starts to get less great."

"Oh, come on, Caroline," Klaus said. "What happened to that sunny disposition of yours that I love so much?"

"It disappeared when that clown tried to pinch me," Caroline said. "Lucky for him we were out in the open."

"Well, I'll make sure that no one comes near you this time," Klaus said. "Would that make you happy?"

"Wait a minute, Nik," Stefan said as they rounded a corner and came face to face with a tent that said "Sideshow" on it in bold blue letters. "Let's go in. We might see someone interesting," he said, looking meaningfully at Klaus. Klaus nodded. "You know, you're right. Let's go in."

"I saw that look!" Anna said. "What is going on? Is there something you're not telling us?"

Stefan took her hand and looked into her eyes. "There's nothing going on. Would I lie to you?"

"Yes," Anna nodded. "If there was something you didn't want me to know about, you would. So just tell me! You know I'll find out some other way if you don't."

Stefan and Klaus gave each other a look. "Just tell her," Klaus said finally.

"We're here to look for Kevin," Stefan said, trying not to meet Anna's eyes. "His mom gave him up to the circus when he was a baby and he never knew his dad."

"So what do you want with him?" Anna asked. "Why this particular kid?"

"Because he's Elijah's," Klaus said. "Elijah's son with his fiancee Elizabeth, who's dead now. We just want to find him and help him out a little. There's no harm in that, is there?"

Anna's eyes narrowed. "Why would you do that?" She asked. "Why would you drag that up now? And what will happen if Elijah finds out? Or Selina? For god's sake, she's eight months pregnant now and Nik, you of all people should know what that means if she gets angry."

"Do you think we're stupid?" Stefan asked. "We aren't just gonna stride up to Selina and tell her everything! Why would she have to know that? We're just trying to help the kid out. That's all. Give him a little guidance. And if he asks to see his dad, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Just then, they heard someone clear their throat. The four of them turned and saw a young man with short brown hair and brown eyes. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties. "Excuse me," he said. "I heard you talking and you mentioned you were looking for someone whose mother gave them up to the circus?"

Stefan and Klaus froze. "Yeah," Klaus said finally. "Did_ your _mother give you up to the circus?"

The young man nodded. "Yeah. I've been here for as long as I can remember." He held his hand out to shake Klaus' and then Stefan's. "I'm Kevin. Can I ask who you are?"

"Us?" Stefan asked. "We're no one special. But we know your father and we've been looking forward to meeting you."

"My father?" Kevin asked, looking intrigued. "I didn't even know he knew about me. Did he send you?"

"Not exactly," Stefan said.

The eager young man invited them back to his dressing room. As the four of them followed him, Anna whispered to Stefan, "Why didn't you tell me about this before we left?"

Stefan grinned. "Because if I had, you wouldn't have come and it's been so long since we've done anything together. But you've had fun up until now. Admit it."

Anna sighed. "I suppose you're right. But I want you to know that I want no involvement with this whatsoever."

"Well, all right then," Klaus told her. "That's simple enough. I absolve you of any involvement, so If Selina finds out and asks you if you knew anything, you can truthfully say 'no'."

Anna grinned. "Thank you. That's all I ask."

"So," Kevin asked when they were all sitting down. "You said you know my father?"

Klaus cleared his throat. "Yeah, we did say that. He's my brother, Elijah."

Kevin gave a short laugh. "So I have an uncle? That is so cool!"

Klaus nodded. "Technically you have a few uncles. And a couple of aunts, too."

"One of whom is me," Anna said. "I'm Anna, that's Nik." She pointed at Klaus. "And Caroline and Stefan are the people we're in relationships with."

"What about my dad?" Kevin asked. "Where's he? Did he come with you?"

"Don't take this the wrong way," Stefan said. "But he doesn't know we're here, and technically I'm not sure he'd like it if he knew we were."

"Oh," Kevin nodded. "That figures. My mother didn't want me because I'm a freak and my father doesn't want me either. That's probably why he left before I was born."

"That's _not_ it, actually," Caroline said. "Your father is as freaky as you, if being a vampire is the freakiness you're talking about."

Kevin's eyes widened. "How do you know I'm a vampire?"

"Because we all are," Caroline said.

Kevin's eyes widened. "Really? That's great! All these years, I thought I was the only one!" He paused. "So, when do I get to see my father? Did you come to bring me to him?"

"No," Stefan shook his head. "At least not now. Your father has a lot to deal with at the moment and I think putting a new, illegitimate son on top of that would just be too much for him."

"What's happening with him now?" Kevin asked.

"He's remarried," Anna said. "And his wife is pregnant. _Really _pregnant. She could have their baby any time in the next month."

"Yeah," Stefan said. "And when she found out about you and your mom, let's say she wasn't exactly happy about it. She'll need time to get used to the idea before she'll let you near her husband without having any sort of retaliation on her mind."

"Wow," Kevin said. "What kind of a psycho did my father marry, anyway?"

"Normally, she's not psycho," Anna said. "Normally, she's very nice. It's just that she's had a lot of relationships in the past where men have let her down, so sometimes, competition and knowing about her partner's past relationships can make her a bit edgy. Your dad's relationship with your mom was just kind of dumped on her. If she'd have been better prepared mentally, I'm sure she would have handled it with grace and aplomb."

"Dad's gonna have another kid to look after soon?" Kevin asked, his face falling. "Then he probably won't want anything to do with me. Just his_ legitimate _kids."

"He's not like that," Anna said. "And neither is his wife. I mean, you know what? His wife had a kid with Stefan's brother while she was still married to Nik here, and then she went to live with your father, and the kid came to visit sometimes, and he was totally all right with it. If he can accept Sam, I think he'll be able to accept you."

"And what about his crazy wife who's not really crazy?" Kevin asked.

"As long as you behave yourself, you should have no problem with her," Klaus said. "After all, the only people who feel her wrath are her romantic rivals, not their children."

"Except for Mary Anne," Anna said. "She wasn't one of your better ideas, Nik."

"This is completely different from what happened with Mary Anne," Klaus said. And when he noticed that Kevin was beginning to look frightened, he cleared his throat. "Let's change the subject, shall we? I believe we're frightening Kevin."

"No," Kevin shook his head and tried to look nonchalant. "You're not scaring me. I'm fine."

Just then, they heard a voice say, "Excuse me, but it's time for Kevin to go on now."

"All right," Kevin said, but after the man left, he said, "I really want to go on. I've had enough of this and I'm miserable."

"And no wonder!" Caroline said. "Anyone would hate being put on show and mocked day after day."

"Yeah," Stefan said. "I mean, I know there are proud circus freaks out there, but it's all right not to be one of them."

"Listen," Kevin said. "I know that my father's not ready to see me yet, but can I come with you anyway? Just to get out of here?"

Klaus and Stefan looked at one another and grinned. "Well, it's your lucky day," Stefan said. "That's exactly what we came for: to take you away from here and bring you back to civilization where you belong."

* * *

"There you go!" Selina said as she pulled Gregory's little dark green polo over his head. "That looks so nice with those slacks. Your father would be proud." Gregory got out of the chair he'd been sitting in and held his arms up, waiting for Selina to pick him up. She watched him uncertainly for a few seconds, then his face crumbled and he burst into tears.

"Wait, no!" Selina said. "Just a minute, just a minute! Don't cry!" She tried to position herself to pick him up, but couldn't because her stomach was in the way. She felt her eyes well up and then she started crying too. Eventually, they heard a knock on Gregory's bedroom door.

"Come in," Selina sniffled.

The door opened and Elijah strode in. "What is going on in here? I can hear you all the way from my office!"

"Well, I'm sorry," Selina said. "I'll try and keep the fact that I'm too fat to be useful to anyone to myself."

"What?" Elijah asked, coming into the room and standing next to her. "No you're not!"

Selina nodded. "Yes, I am! I can't even pick Gregory up anymore! Do you know what happens to kids whose parents don't show them any affection? I mean, look at us!"

"Well, it's not your fault you can't move around as easily anymore," Elijah said. He sat Gregory down on his changing table and looked him right in the eye. "Gregory, you have to understand that your mother can't coddle you as much as she'd like to right now, so you'll have to learn how to handle things yourself. It's not that she doesn't love you, it's just how things are, all right?"

Gregory's lip still stuck out, but he seemed to understand. "He looks nice," Elijah said. "I like his outfit."

"Well, thank you," Selina said, wiping her nose with her hand. "I do try."

Elijah pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. "Wipe your nose with this and then go wash your hands," he said. "Not that we have to worry about the spread of germs or anything, but it doesn't hurt anyone to be sanitary."

Selina took the handkerchief and blew her nose. "I assume you don't want this back?" She asked when she was done.

Elijah's nose wrinkled a little. "No. Just throw it in the wash."

Selina nodded. "All right."

Just then, the doorbell rang and Selina went to answer it. "Daddy," she said when she saw who was on the other side. "Come on in! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have to talk to you," Matthew said. "I want to know what kind of a person that Enid is."

"Has something happened?" Selina asked. "Did the two of you have a fight?"

"No, we haven't had a fight," Matthew shook his head. "But she's asked me to do something I'm not particularly comfortable with. She wants me to keep something to myself that I really think needs to be shared with someone."

"What is it?" Selina asked, looking intrigued. "Did she do something bad?"

"No," Matthew said. He looked uncomfortable. "In a sense, you could say that what she did was really sweet. I don't know what to make of it, honestly."

"Well, what did she do?" Selina asked.

"Well, I assume you heard that when Roxanne had her babies, she lost one."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "She told me. It was one of the rare times I ever remember seeing her cry."

"The fact of the matter is, though, he's not dead anymore. Unless she was lying to me, although I don't know why she'd do that."

"What do you mean he's not dead anymore?" Selina asked.

"Well, I came to the club to pick her up for a date on the day the babies were born and she said we couldn't go out cause she had a baby to take care of, and that it was Roxie's baby she'd brought back from the dead, but that I couldn't tell anyone because she'd get in trouble."

"But you're telling me," Selina said. "Daddy, why?"

Matthew sighed. "I just think it's wrong to let Roxie and her husband suffer and think they have a dead child when they don't. I had to tell someone. Now, you can tell Roxanne and hopefully that will make them both feel better."

"Daddy, as much as I would love to tell Roxie this news, it's not my place. And besides, it's been a month. Roxie needs time to grieve over Joey. This experience could really help her grow up. It's not to say that she won't hear the truth eventually. I just don't think it's time yet."

* * *

"I'm gonna go to work!" Roxie yelled to whoever was around to listen. "And don't worry about Addie. Enid said I could bring her with me and she would watch her."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Klaus said, appearing suddenly. "I would be more than happy to watch sweet little Addison. It wouldn't be any trouble."

"And do you really think it's a good idea to have her around all that alcohol?" Caroline asked.

"She wouldn't be around the _bar_!" Roxie said. "My god, Caroline. What sort of person do you take me for?"

"And besides," Klaus said, "Remember what happened last time you brought her to the bar and you and Vince saw each other? That was quite the awkward scene, wasn't it?"

"Well, it wouldn't have been so awkward if you hadn't started stuff with him!" Roxie said. "I miss him, but there's something in me that keeps telling me I have to respect his space and let him work through this Joey thing in his own way. And that it'll just make things worse if I or anyone else rush him!"

"Well, are you miserable here by yourself?" Klaus asked.

"Not as much as you would think," Roxie said. "Because I still have Addie and you...both. I'm gonna be all right. I swear. And I'm still taking Addie to work with me. It'll be all right."

Klaus and Caroline gave each other looks and rolled their eyes, but didn't say anything more as Roxie took Addie outside and put her in the car, then drove to Enid's.

"I'm here for work!" She called when she came in. "And I brought Addie! I hope that's all right."

"You didn't get my message?" Enid asked, appearing almost immediately, looking a little panicked.

Roxie shook her head. "No. What message?"

"I've decided to change you to complete evening shifts now," she said. "So you can spend more time with Addie during the day."

"Really?" Roxie asked, looking surprised. "Well, thank you, Enid. But if you don't want me bringing Addison to work, all you have to do is say so. You don't have to rearrange the whole schedule."

Enid shrugged. "I figured that it would be easier for you and Vince to work together at night, when it was just the two of you here," she said. "Maybe it'll be easier for you to work things out that way."

Roxie sighed. "There's nothing for us to work out! Vince is sad about Joey dying and that's just something he needs to work through. Not to say I'm not affected by it, but we're just dealing with it in different ways."

Just then, Vince came in. "I'm here," he said. "Where do you want me to start?"

"We're not supposed to be working yet," Roxie told him. "But apparently, neither of us got the message. And I'm sorry about my dad's behavior the other day. I'm sure he didn't mean it. He goes a little overboard when it comes to me sometimes, but you already knew that."

"Oh, it's fine," Vince said emptily. "I really don't care." He was having trouble meeting her eyes.

"For god's sake," Roxie said. "Can't you at least look me in the eye when you speak to me?" Vince brought his gaze up. "Sorry," he said quietly.

Addie cooed and Roxie said to Vince, "Do you at least want to see your daughter and feel amazed I haven't killed her yet?"

Vince looked at Addie in Roxie's arms for a long moment and Roxie thought he was gonna just walk away, but to her surprise, he reached out and snatched Addie up, hugging her to him.

"Oh, sweetie," he said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Does this mean you want me to leave my dad's?" Roxie asked hopefully.

Vince shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, not yet. But I think it means I'm ready to start visiting for a little bit every day. If your dad's in a good mood, that is."

"I could come to the house with Addie and visit _you_," Roxie said tentatively. "Or I could come to the house by myself sometime and we could..."

Vince gave her a look.

"Sorry," Roxie said quickly. "Too soon?"

"Yeah," Vince nodded. "Just a little."

Roxie sighed. "Well, whatever. Want me to bring Addie over tonight?"

Vince looked down at his daughter. "All right," he said. "That would be nice."

* * *

True to her word, Roxie brought Addie over to see Vince that night. "Hi!" She said when he opened the door. "We came!"

Vince grinned and took Addie from her. "You _did_ come! But you're a little late, though. You said five and it's almost six."

"Dad had a problem letting Addie go. He's really attached to her," Roxie explained. "So...how are you doing? Any better?"

Vince nodded. "A little. I mean, I don't think this is something I'm gonna get over completely, but I've realized that if I'm going to be a fully-functioning person, I have to learn ways to cope. And that this is a good way to start." He took Addie from Roxie again and they went to the living room.

"What do you think of Enid changing our hours?" Roxie asked him. "Don't you think it's a little odd? I mean, we've done the night shift before, but it hasn't been permanent."

Vince shrugged. "So she changed the schedule. I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

"But when I got there today, she looked terrified at the sight of me. Granted, I _have_ had a lifelong goal to instill fear in people so they'll respect me, but Enid is not one of those people. What possible reason would she have to be afraid of me?"

Vince shrugged. "I don't know. On a completely different note, have you seen Jeremy yet?"

"Who's Jeremy?" Roxie asked.

"A kid Enid says she's watching for a friend," Vince said. "She brings him around the bar all the time. He's a sweet little guy. The patrons really like him. He's probably what's making me feel better about Joey being gone. Every time I see him, I just...I feel better. When you're at work sometime, ask Enid if she'll introduce him to you."

* * *

"Who's on the phone?" Damon asked Lenora the next day when she came and held it out to him.

"It's Aunt Lucy," Lenora said. "She wants to talk to you."

"Well, you tell her that I don't know if I want to talk to her."

"Too bad!" Lucy shouted. "This is long distance, you know. I'm not wasting a phone call just because you want to throw a tantrum!"

"I can't believe you're criticizing me for being concerned about your welfare," Damon said. "Most people consider that a nice thing."

"I don't need another person being concerned for my welfare down here," Lucy said. "I told you that I'm gonna be fine. My uncle Jake is down here with me. We're gonna check this thing out together."

"That's all right, I guess," Damon said grumpily. "Jake's better than nothing."

"What's your problem with my uncle?" Lucy asked.

"I just have a history with that part of your family that's not so good," Damon replied.

"Could you get over yourself for like, two seconds so I can tell you what Uncle Jake and I found today?"

"All right," Damon said. "What is it?"

"Well," Lucy said. "Jake definitely thinks there's a rogue werewolf family down here. A beast has been attacking farm animals and locals for a century or two, and from descriptions of the 'wolves, they seem more like weres than ones just found in nature. And there was one winter where a villager was attacked by a wolf and then the wolf got its paw chopped off, and then the next morning, a group of the men went down with the sheriff to show him the body and all they fond was one of the local men, dead. He had a bloody stump where his hand should have been. They figured he must've bled out during the night."

"One stupid guy doesn't mean there's a whole family of werewolves in this place!" Damon scoffed.

"If you think there's nothing here, than why are you so worried about me?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, why?" Lenora parroted.

"I can be worried for whatever reason I want!" Damon said. "I don't have to explain it to you!" He pressed the speaker button and hung up the phone, ending the call.

"What did you do that for?" Lenora asked him. "That's not very nice."

"I don't care," Damon said to her testily. "Now go to your room and don't come out until I say!"

"I don't want to go to my room!" Lenora said. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"Yes you have," Damon told her. "It's not nice to listen in on other people's phone calls. That's a lesson you're having a really hard time learning."

Lenora looked at him angrily and was in the process of striding off toward her room when she turned on her heel quite suddenly and ran back, throwing her arms around him. "I'm sorry you miss Aunt Lucy," she said.

"Well, thank you," Damon said. "I _do_ miss Lucy."

"Do you want me to make it be January so she comes back?" Lenora asked.

Damon sighed. "No," he said. "That wouldn't be very nice of us." Lenora looked at him for a minute and then came back with Rusty. "Here," she said. "He's soft. Pet him and you won't be sad anymore."

Tentatively, Damon reached out for the dog and began stroking him. Lenora put the dog in his lap and Damon shut his eyes and pretended he was running his fingers through Lucy's silky blonde hair.

"Do I still have to go to my room?" Lenora asked after a couple of minutes.

Damon shook his head. "No. And I'm sorry I snapped at you."

Lenora crawled next to him. "It's all right," she said. "I'm not mad. If I was, you'd be something yucky right now."

Damon looked at her and smiled. "Thank you for restraining yourself," he said. He looked up at the clock. "I think it's time for you to have quiet time," he said.

"All right," Lenora said. "I'll go have quiet time." She went to her room and picked up her play phone, hitting it with her finger. "Hello, Aunt Lucy!" she said.

"Lenora?" Lucy asked. "What are you doing?"

"I just wanted to tell you that Damon stopped talking to you because he misses you," She said. "Okay? Were you wondering that?"

"Yes," Lucy said. "You tell him I miss him too," Lucy said. "Bunches and bunches. And that part of me wishes that it was January so I could come back."

"There is?" Lenora asked.

"Yeah," Lucy said. "And you can even tell him if you want. Promise you'll do that?"

"Yes!" Lenora said. "Yes, I will!"


	14. The In Laws

"Guess what, guess what?!" Selina said, running into her and Elijah's bedroom later that day. "My father just told me the most incredible thing! He said that Joey's not dead because Enid brought him back to life!"

Elijah looked up at her. "Why would he tell you this? Why wouldn't he tell Vince and Roxanne?"

"Because technically no one is supposed to know," Selina said. "Enid thinks she might get in trouble if certain people find out."

"Well, then why are you telling me?" Elijah asked. "If this is the sort of thing you should keep to yourself?"

"You know I'm not good at keeping secrets!" Selina complained. "I was gonna explode if I didn't tell someone! Or even if I _didn't_ tell someone!"

She looked resentfully at her large stomach.

"Speaking of that," Elijah said, "when is Laura supposed to be born again?"

"Astrid said around my birthday," Selina told him. "I hope not, though. Because Astrid won't even be here then. And I know it's selfish, but I don't want to share my birthday."

Elijah nodded. "I have to agree with you," he said. "I want Astrid to be here when it happens. But on the off chance that she isn't, I would much rather deliver our daughter myself than go to that bar."

Selina smirked. "Roxie's right," she said. "You _are_ a snob!" As his mouth opened to protest, she winked and came around to spank him. "Relax, will you?" She asked. "I was just kidding."

"I knew that!" Elijah said. "I did!"

Just then, the doorbell rang. Selina answered it and saw that her mother was on the other side. "Wow," Amelia said, her eyes wide. "I didn't expect you to be so big!"

"Thanks for noticing," Selina said dryly. "Because I really hadn't. What do you want?"

"A more polite greeting for one thing," Amelia said.

Selina rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry. Hello, Mama. It's a pleasure to see you. What brings you here?"

"I could do without the tone, but that's better than nothing," Amelia replied. "Anyway, I just came to check on you, and see if you needed anything."

"Nope," Selina shook her head. "I'm good."

"Are you sure?" Amelia asked. "What are you doing up and about? You should be resting!"

"I don't like resting," Selina said. "I lie down and I can't get up again without help. And I hate that."

"You're too proud," Amelia said. "There's nothing wrong with asking for help. Especially in your condition."

Selina scoffed. "My condition. You make it sound like I have some sort of disease. I don't. I'm just pregnant for crying out loud, and now that it's finally October, hopefully I won't be pregnant for much longer."

"I have a question," Amelia said. "Have you talked to your father recently?"

Selina nodded. "Just saw him today. Why?"

"How is he?" Amelia asked. "Is he happy? Is he seeing someone?"

Selina grinned. "As a matter of fact, he is. Her name is Enid. I set them up."

"Enid?" Amelia asked. "What is she, a hundred?"

"Lots of hundreds actually," Selina said. "I don't know how many, but I know she's been around for quite awhile, though. She's a witch. The witch that created werewolves."

Amelia's eyes widened a fraction. "Is she? Well, perhaps you could arrange a meeting between her and me? So I could thank her for cursing my family and ruining all of our lives?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, Mama, get over that already! You're coping! Uncle Jake is alive! The only reason why everything was 'ruined' is because Granddaddy didn't handle things well. If he would have just been open about the family heritage instead of treating it like it was something horrible and shameful, then you wouldn't feel like your entire life was ruined."

Amelia couldn't think of anything to say to this, so she changed the subject. "But will you still set up the meeting anyway?" She asked. "I feel like I'm entitled to meet the woman who's replacing me."

"No, you're not entitled to anything!" Selina said grumpily. "Just leave them alone! I mean, it's not like you don't have ways to occupy yourself, what with you and Mikael constantly terrorizing innocent people and all."

"There's nothing innocent about the people that Mikael and I hunt," Amelia said. "They've committed terrible crimes agaist our kind and I find it very admirable that Mikael does what he can to bring them to justice."

"And I'm sure you're more than enthusiastic about helping him!" Selina said. "Maybe you should have him tell you the story about how after he found out that Nicky wasn't his, he slaughtered Nicky's real father's whole family! And they were all werewolves! Yep, that would be perfect for you. Werewolf extermination is right up your alley."

"Excuse me," Elijah said. "What exactly is all this arguing supposed to accomplish?"

"Nothing really," Selina said. "Arguing is what my mother and I do. Just like me and Roxie."

"Can I ask what you're arguing about?"

"Well," Selina said, "She's jealous because my father dumped her and has now moved on to dating Enid, even though she really has no reason to be jealous because she's dating your father. Oh, and she wants us to set up a dinner for her and Mikael and Daddy and Enid so they can get to know each other. She feels it's only fair. I don't think we should though. I don't think their relationships are any of our business."

"Well, once you set up your father with Enid, it kind of became your business," Elijah said. "And if we arrange a meeting for the two couples and come, we can make sure things don't get too out of hand, whereas if we leave Amelia to her own devices, who knows what could happen." He looked at Amelia. "Am I correct?"

Amelia nodded. "Pretty much."

Elijah nodded. "All right then. I'll make reservations for a week from now for the six of us. Is that permissible?"

Amelia nodded. "Yes. And thank you so much." She looked at Selina. "Darling, are you sure you don't need me for anything?"

"No, thanks," Selina said again. "I promise you I'm fine."

"Well all right," Amelia said. "I'll be on my way now, then, and tell Mikael about our dinner next week."

"Goodbye, Mama," Selina called after her. Once she was gone, Selina gave Elijah a punch on the shoulder. "What did you have to go and agree to have us there for?" She asked. "I don't think I can handle being in the same room as the four of them! It's gonna be bad for my condition!"

"I agree that it's not going to be the most pleasant evening we've ever spent, but what else was I supposed to say?" Elijah asked.

"Well, 'no' isn't strong enough, so how about 'no, it will be a cold day in hell before I sit and break bread in the same room as you'?" Selina asked.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt you to be a little nicer to your mother," Elijah pointed out. "You don't find it pleasant when Roxanne talks to you the way you talk to your mother."

"The difference between my mother and me and me and Roxanne is that I don't go out of my way to be a pain in the butt like my mother does, therefore, it is entirely unreasonable for Roxanne to talk like that to me, whereas where my mother is concerned, I have an excuse," Selina told him.

Elijah shook his head. "There is no excuse. She is your mother and you owe her respect because of that. If not because you actually respect her, then for the sake of familial peace."

"Oh," Selina nodded. "Like you and your father?"

"I _do_ actually respect my father," Elijah said. "I don't have to share his beliefs to respect him. We agree to disagree about certain things, like you, for instance."

"What?" Selina's jaw dropped. "I gave him a grandson and he _still_ hates me?"

"He found out how Elizabeth died," Elijah said. "I tried to explain the special circumstances, but given your past history, he didn't actually believe me."

"Well, did you happen to mention the reason I went nuts and killed Elizabeth?" Selina asked. "Did you tell him about Kevin?"

Elijah's gaze dropped. "No. I will sometime, but not now."

"Why not?" Selina asked. "Would it get you in trouble?"

Elijah locked eyes with her. "Let's just say that he'd hate hearing that I was with Elizabeth and even more that I fathered a child with her and then left," he said. "He'd tell me that I should have stayed. And maybe I should have. But it's too late to do anything about that now, so let's just focus on us. You have to promise me that you won't say a word to him about Elizabeth and Kevin."

Selina shook her head. "No, I won't. I swear."

He kissed her forehead. "I love you, you know that?"

Selina nodded. "I love you too."

* * *

"What's the matter?" Sam asked as he looked over Corrie's shoulder. She held their tour schedule in her shaking hand.

"You should know by now," Corrie said. "We only have one more stop on this tour and that's Greece."

"What is so bad about Greece?" Sam asked. "You never told me."

Corrie stared at him forlornly for a moment and then sighed. "Just a minute," she said. She left him and came back a few minutes later, clutching a book bound in brown leather. "Read this," she said. "You'll learn about me that way." She sat down and stared at him.

"You want me to read it _now_?" Sam asked.

"Well, you wanted to know about me," Corrie told him. "That book has all your answers."

Frowning, Sam took off his sunglasses and opened the book. He stared at the table of contents for a moment and then looked back at Corrie. "I don't see you listed here," he said. "Where do I look?"

"Try looking under 'The Rape of Persephone'" Corrie told him. "They always phrase things way more dramatically than they need to be. 'Abduction of Persephone' would have sufficed."

Sam read it over quietly and whistled through his teeth. "You had to marry your uncle?" He asked. "That's sick, isn't it?"

Corrie sighed. "Well, my mother wasn't too pleased. That's for sure."

"Just think," Sam said. "If your uncle hadn't abducted you, it'd be warm all the time. Shorts and t-shirts all year long."

"Don't make light of this, Sam. Please. It's very serious," Corrie told him. "It shouldn't surprise you to learn that my uncle doesn't like me to pay attention to other men. When I do, he gets...cranky."

"And why didn't you tell me about this?" Sam asked, feeling frightened. "Is he gonna kill me or something?"

"No," Corrie shook her head. "He wouldn't kill you. He'd probably turn you into something disgusting, though."

"Well, then why couldn't you have just stayed with him?!" Sam cried. "I don't want to be turned into something disgusting!"

"If you'd met him, you wouldn't say that," Corrie said. "If you'd met my uncle, I would like to think you'd do everything in your power to take me away from him."

Sam scoffed. "Well don't _we_ think a lot of ourselves?" He asked. "What makes you think I'd be willing to make that sort of commitment? I'm a good-looking guy, and a musician. There are tons of women out there who want a piece of me and I intend to give it to them."

Corrie frowned. "Well, all right then," she said. "I suddenly feel inclined to give you exactly what you want." She walked to the front of the bus and whispered in the driver's ear. "Go faster, would you? We have a schedule to keep."

The bus driver sped up, but all too suddenly, a large black car pulled out in front of them and the bus crashed into it. The driver was killed instantly. Corrie banged her head against the steering wheel and the band was thrown around, getting bumps and bruises, but they were otherwise unhurt.

Soon, the driver of the large black car stepped out and approached the bus. He touched it and the doors opened, allowing him entrance. He was dressed all in black, with dark glasses and midlength gray hair. He looked down at the bus driver, grabbed him by his hair and pulled his head up. "Well, what do you know?" He asked dryly. "Dead."

Corrie moaned. He turned his attention to her. "There you are," he said. "I've been looking for you. You didn't think you'd be able to hide away forever, did you?" He put a hand on her forehead and she was healed. "Be grateful," he said. "I don't do that for everyone."

"Don't you mean anyone?" She spat. "Why are you here, Uncle?"

"If anyone needs to answer that question, it's you," he said. "Why are _you_ here?"

"I was just looking around," Corrie said, trying to sound nonchalant. "You of all people should understand the need to take a vacation from the underworld."

Hades nodded. "I see. And what exactly are you doing with your...vacation? What _is_ this place?"

"It's called a bus," Corrie said. "It's what me and my band travel in. Oh, and a band is a group of singers. Really good singers."

"And what are you doing with this band? Have you lavished your affections on one of them?" Hades asked.

"No," Corrie shook her head. "Of course not."

"You're lying to me, aren't you?" Hades asked. "All right, where is he? What's his name?" He pushed his way to the back of the bus, where the band was still struggling to right themselves. "All right," Hades said. "Which one of you has laid with my wife?"

Sam sat up. "That depends. Who's your wife?"

"Me," Corrie said quietly. "Everyone, this is my uncle. Uncle, this everyone."

* * *

Corrie was not the only one bonding with her uncle. "Are you going to be all right with this?" Jake asked. "We're going to see some actual victims today."

"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "I'll be all right. Why wouldn't I be all right?"

Jake shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because you haven't been around werewolves as much, so you haven't adapted to seeing the devastation they can cause."

"I'll be fine," Lucy said. "I swear. Can we just go already?"

Jake sighed and he and Lucy drove into the city again, heading straight to the hospital, where a doctor met them at the door. "Come in quick," he said. "We had two victims last night."

"That's fewer than usual, but still two more than we want," Jake said.

"Who is she?" The doctor asked.

"She's my niece," Jake said. "It's okay that she's here with us."

The doctor gave Lucy a long glance before finally deciding that she was all right. "Come along," he said. He led Lucy and Jake to a small ward that was far away from the others. In two beds, two men moaned piteously.

Jake opened the curtain around the first bed and Lucy moaned. The man was covered in blood and only had one leg and one arm. "He's lucky," Jake said quietly.

"Lucky!" Lucy exclaimed, trying her best to keep her voice down. "He's only got half his limbs! How can you consider that lucky!"

"Because practically everyone attacked by werewolves don't survive the experience!" Jake said curtly. "He's alive, so he's lucky."

"Oh," Lucy said quietly. "Right."

"Can he speak?" Jake asked the doctor.

The doctor shook his head. "No. We've had him sedated since they brought him in. He'll recover in a month or so if he's lucky."

"What about the other man?" Lucy asked. "How bad does he look?"

"He's dead," the doctor said. "Now all that's left to do is bury him."

"So what are _we_ supposed to do?" Lucy asked after leading Jake to a corner.

"I've offered to kill the beast for them," Jake said. "These people are desperate. I think this would be a good learning experience for you."

"You want me to help you kill a werewolf?" Lucy asked. "But why? You said yourself I have next to no experience with them. What if I screw up?"

"You won't," Jake said. "I'll look out for you. Please, Lucy. I can't do this alone."

"Fine," Lucy said. "But I'll tell you right now that if I get hurt, you'll have some very angry people at home to answer to."

* * *

"This is going to go down as one of the most awkward, not fun nights of my entire existence," Selina said as she and Elijah drove to pick up Enid and Matthew. "And that's really saying something."

"It's not ideal," Elijah agreed. "But if you keep quiet and only speak when spoken to, we should be able to get through things relatively painlessly."

"Ordinarily I would yell at you for saying something like that, but on a night like tonight, that's actually pretty sensible advice," Selina told him. "I'll just shut up and let you handle all the problems 'cause you're good at that."

Elijah grinned. "Well, thank you."

Matthew and Enid were standing outside the club when they got there. "You stay in here," Elijah told Selina. "I'll go and talk to them."

Selina watched out the window as Elijah approached Enid and Matthew and led them to the car."

"You can sit next to Selina," Elijah told Enid. "And Matthew can sit next to me in the passenger's seat."

As they pulled out of the club parking lot, Selina said, "looking forward to tonight, Enid?"

"Yes," Enid nodded. "Even though it's going to be awkward, this is one of the first nights I've had out in awhile, so I'll try to make the best of it."

Selina nodded. "I agree. It must be a lot of work running the club all by yourself. Is it?"

"Oh, yes," Enid nodded. "It is."

"Are you all right?" Selina asked. "You seem a little jumpy."

"Oh no," Enid said. "I'm fine. I swear."

"All right," Selina said. "We'll just leave it at that then."

"So will we be picking up Amelia and your father?" Matthew asked Elijah. Elijah shook his head. "My father said he and Amelia will meet us there."

"Ah," Matthew nodded. "Wonderful." After that, the car lapsed into awkward silence, the only sound being Selina shifting position.

When they reached the restaurant, it took awhile for them to find Mikael and Amelia.

"You hid yourselves well," Matthew said, locking eyes with Selina's mother.

"Well, can you blame us for wanting to have as much time alone as we possibly could before we were subjected to this?" Amelia said to him.

"Now may I remind you Amelia that this little gathering was your idea?" Elijah asked, putting a hand in Selina's and squeezing a bit to stop her from talking.

Amelia sighed. "Yes, I suppose it was." She met Enid's eyes and gave her a look. "So you must be Enid," she said.

Enid nodded. "And you must be Amelia. Matthew's told me so much about you and your family and how you lived in fear of your werewolf heritage."

"My brother was killed while transformed," Amelia said, her eyes narrowed. "And I was almost turned myself. I can't blame my father for looking upon lycanthropy unfavorably. Did you expect a different reaction? Are you of the opinion that I should be jumping for joy?"

Enid shook her head. "Well, no, but denying it is just foolish. It's not like that will make it go away."

"Well, we lived in an area where we were the only ones of our kind," Amelia told her. "It would have been unwise to flaunt what we were."

"See?" Enid said. "That's your problem, living among humans. You would have been much more comfortable among other werewolves. That's what I made the bar for."

"What on earth possessed you to create werewolves?" Amelia asked. "How could you do that to people? Don't you realize how painful it is?"

Enid nodded. "I do. And I regret it sometimes. That I cursed a whole bunch of people just because I couldn't deal with my heartache. But it's no good to dwell on the past. We have to move forward."

Amelia frowned. "You mean you damned my family for so petty a reason as a man broke up with you? How stupid is that?" She got up and reached across the table for Enid. "I oughta kill you!"

"I think not," Enid said. She waved her hand and Amelia went flying into a nearby wall. A few seconds later, she sat up, dazed, and then scrambled to her feet, rushing Enid again. Selina watched with interest, but did her best not to join in.

"Are we gonna stop them?" Selina asked Elijah.

"Yes," Elijah nodded. He looked at Matthew and Amelia. "Would the two of you take care of this?" He asked.

"I don't think so," Mikael said. "Amelia has every right to avenge herself for the wrong Enid did against her family."

Elijah rolled his eyes as a table flew across the room, silverware and crystal smashed against the wall.

"Oh, my god," Selina said. "Oh, my god." She shifted. "I think-I think-"

"What?" Elijah asked, standing up quickly.

"We have to go," Selina said. "My water just broke and thank god." She looked at Mikael. "After Mama and Enid have beat the crap out of each other, could you tell them we had to leave because I went into labor? Thanks."

Elijah led her out of the restaurant and they drove away, but as they hit the main highway, the engine gave a sputter and the car suddenly stopped moving. "What the hell happened?" Selina asked. "Why did the car stop?"

"I don't know," Elijah said.

"Well then why don't you get out and see?" Selina asked. "And maybe, I don't know...Fix whatever the hell is wrong so I can get to the damn hospital?"

"Just stay calm," Elijah said. "I'll call Astrid and she'll come and fix things and deliver the baby and everything will be fine." He grabbed his phone and dialed. It rang forever before finally going to the answering machine. "Astrid, it's Elijah," Elijah said. "Selina went into labor early and our car broke down, so if you could come as soon as you get this message, I'd appreciate it." He hung up the phone and Selina let out a shriek. "You are no use, are you?" She yelled. "How is it that you've lived for a thousand years but you can't even fix a fucking car?"

"Now, now," Elijah said. "I know you're going through a lot, but that's no reason to use language like that!"

With a yell, she grabbed an umbrella off the seat beside her and chucked it at his head. It nearly hit him. "Don't just stand there!" She screamed. "_Do_ something!" She paused. "Wow, this kid's coming quick."

"Okay, okay," Elijah said. He took off his coat and helped Selina out of her underwear, wincing when he noticed the stains on the seat of his car. Selina saw the looks and grabbed him by the collar. "If you say one thing about this wrecking your precious car, I'm going to rip off your head!"

"I wasn't planning on saying anything like that," he said.

Her expression relaxed. "Good." She let out a yell and Elijah's eyes widened. "It's coming," he said, positioning his hands and coat to catch the baby. With one more shriek from Selina, the baby slid out into Elijah's coat. "You did it," he said to her. You did it. Laura's here," he said. He looked down at the little baby."Hi," he said. "I'm your daddy."

Selina sat up. "Thank god," she said. "It will be years before I do that again. Is that all right with you?"

Just then, they heard a knock on the window. Elijah looked out and saw Astrid staring back at them.

"Sorry we were busy," she said after Elijah handed Laura to Selina and opened the door. "That _would _have to be when this happens, though."

"I don't mind," Selina said. "It got us out of a really awkward dinner with our parents." She handed Laura to Astrid and Astrid looked down at her. "Hi, honey," she said. "What do you say we take you home and get you cleaned up?"

"Sounds good," Selina said. "Even though I know you weren't talking to me, that sounds good."


	15. Risk and Reward

Lenora heard Damon's cell phone ring. She looked around, but didn't see Damon nearby. Instead of yelling for him, she picked it up and answered it. "Hello?"

"Lenora, it's me, Aunt Lucy," Lucy said.

"Hi!" Lenora told her. "Damon's not here. I could get him."

"No, no!" Lucy said quickly. "Please, Lenora. Don't you do that! I'm going to tell you a secret, but don't tell him, all right?"

"What is it?" Lenora asked.

"I'm scared to death," Lucy told her. "My uncle wants me to help him kill a werewolf and I don't really want to."

"I'm sorry," Lenora said.

"Thank you," Lucy told her. "I just wanted to get that off my chest. Now remember, don't tell Damon."

"I won't," Lenora said. Lucy told her goodbye and they hung up just as Damon came into the room. "Who were you talking to?" He asked her.

"Aunt Lucy," Lenora said. "She told me a secret that I can't tell you."

Damon got down on his knees. "What sort of secret? Lenora, is your aunt hurt?"

Lenora shook her head. "No. She said I'm not supposed to tell you that her uncle is making her kill werewolves and that she's scared."

Damon's eyes widened and he stood up quickly. "Lucy's uncle is making her do what?!"

"He's making her kill werewolves!" Lenora exclaimed, gesticulating wildly, her eyes wide. "And she said she's scared!"

"The hell she's gonna kill werewolves!" Damon said. "I'm gonna go put a stop to this right now!"

"What about me?" Lenora asked. "I can't be here by myself."

Damon shut his eyes. "Fine," he said. "I'll go drop you off at Stefan and Anna's and then I've got a plane to catch."

* * *

Damon was able to get tickets on a plane to Paris a few days later. When he stepped off the plane, a figure shot toward him, throwing herself into his arms.

"Lucy?" He asked after he'd finished coughing and regained his composure. "How did you know I was gonna be here?"

Lucy grinned. "Oh, please! I told Lenora to keep what I told her a secret, so I _knew_ she'd tell you the second I hung up."

"So this whole 'Uncle Jake is making me kill werewolves' thing was just a ploy to get me here?" Damon asked. "You didn't have to go through all that. You just had to say you wanted me to come and I would have."

"No," Lucy said, sobering up and taking off her little pink hat that went with her suit. "That part's true, unfortunately. I wanted you to come help me with this because I thought I could deal with it better that way. But I felt awkward asking you after all the fuss I made about wanting to be independent, so I had Lenora get you here in a more roundabout fashion."

"Well, whatever," Damon said. "The point is that I'm here now and we'll deal with this together."

Lucy nodded. "By they way, what did you do with Lenora, rushing out here so quickly?"

"I left her with Stefan and Anna," Damon said. "Don't worry. Helene knows what I did and she seemed fine with it."

"So what do we do now?" Lucy asked.

Damon shrugged. "You tell me. What does Uncle Jake have in mind?"

"Well, first we should probably get to the place where I'm staying," Lucy said. "It's not here in Paris. It's in Lozere, which is in south-central France."

"Thanks for the geography lesson," Damon said. "Does your uncle know I'm going to be joining you?"

Lucy's gaze dropped. "Well, no, not really," she said. "He might even be upset with me when he sees you, but you know what? I don't care. You had to save me once before from a werewolf, so I'm_ not _facing them again by myself."

Damon nodded. "Damn right you're not. You're not even gonna go to this Lozere place. You're gonna stay here in Paris with Mimi and do your pictures. That's what's safer for you."

"But I don't _want_ to do what's safer for me!" Lucy complained. "I came here to Paris to take risks and have adventures and I can't think of anyone I would rather take risks and have adventures with than you!"

"Well, that's sweet," Damon said. "But what if you get hurt? You won't do me a lot of good if you get hurt and die. Do you know how much that would hurt me?"

"Well, yeah," Lucy nodded as they made their way through the airport. "But remember what we learned last time? If a werewolf bites me, it won't kill me. It will just make me human. And that's not so bad, is it?"

"Yes, yes it_ is_ bad!" Damon said insistently. "If you become a human, that will make you even more vulnerable than you are now! Don't you have _any_ sense of self-preservation at all? At the rate you're going, you wouldn't last five seconds as a human!"

"I could too last as a human!" Lucy said, looking affronted as they left the airport and headed for the car that Lucy had brought. "I could be a very good human, I think!"

"Have you ever been one?" Damon asked. "No. No, you haven't. You have no idea what it's like. How hard it is."

"Well I'd be better at being human than Roxie or Adrian, I think," Lucy said. "Because thanks to Uncle Elijah, _I_ know how to practice restraint." She opened the car door and said, "get inside, please."

Frowning, Damon sat in the passenger's seat and Lucy took the wheel. As they pulled out and got on the road, Damon said, "You can't be serious about this whole human thing. Do you have any idea how risky it could be for you?"

"How could it be risky?" Lucy asked. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"Well, for one thing, you could accidentally kill someone, and then your werewolf gene will be activated, and your victim will not be the only one who will be dead," Damon said. "I will be too because your mother will kill me! And what happened to 'Uncle Jake wants me to kill werewolves and I'm so scared'? Now you're like 'Uncle Jake wants me to kill werewolves and I hope I screw up and one of them bites me so I can become human'."

"Because I want to show you that I can _do _it!" Lucy said, her voice rising hysterically. "And I want to know what it's like to be human. You and Mom both know and I don't."

"Look," Damon said. "Being human is _not_ all it's cracked up to be."

"Would you be human again if it was possible?" Lucy asked him.

"No," Damon said almost immediately. "Well, yes. Kind of. I don't know. That's a loaded question!"

"Why?" Lucy asked. "I would say it's a pretty simple question. All you need to say is 'yes' or 'no'."

"No, it's not a simple question!" Damon said. "I would be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me that _does_ miss being human. When I became a vampire, as you know, I missed out on some stuff: getting to marry your mom, and meet my son Joshua, having a semblance of a normal life. Yeah, part of me misses that. But, if I would have stayed human, I never would have met you, so..."

"But that's not the question!" Lucy said. "If someone came to you right now and said, "Damon Salvatore, I can make you human right this second, would you like that?' Would you take them up on the offer?"

He sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I would. But there's no point in even talking about that, because it won't happen. Now, back to what we were _actually _talking about: Are you seriously going to put yourself in harm's way on purpose just so you can experience what a human life is like?"

"Yes!" Lucy nodded. "But don't worry. When we get home, I will tell Mom it was all my idea and that you are in no way responsible."

"How would I not be responsible?" Damon asked. "I was here, I could have prevented you from being bitten, but you became human anyway! She'll find _some _way to make this my fault, not to mention what your dad and your uncle will think!" He shut his eyes and rubbed his temples. This was turning into a problem.

"Just trust me, would you?" Lucy asked. "Nothing bad will happen to you because of what I'm gonna do!" When he opened his mouth to protest some more, she put a finger on it. "Shh! Discussion is closed!"

They drove in silence to the hospital, where Jake was waiting for them. "What is _he_ doing with you?" Jake asked Lucy, looking at Damon.

"I asked him to come," Lucy said. "I don't have the best luck with werewolves, see? I told you about that werewolf Jason I knew at school, right?"

"Yeah," Jake nodded. "What about him?"

"He attacked her," Damon said. "Almost ripped her throat out when he turned one full moon. I saved her. He bit me instead."

"Yeah, whatever," Jake said. He turned to Lucy. "I got a call from a guy that I know who says he spotted the creature. We should be going now."

Lucy nodded and began following Jake out the hospital door. They would be going out into the country, which was where most of the werewolf attacks were taking place. Damon followed after Lucy, causing Jake to ask, "Does he really have to come?"

"Yeah, I do," Damon said. "Because if I don't, then Lucy is planning to-"

Lucy quickly clapped a hand over Damon's mouth. "Never mind," she said. "Just let him come, please? He'll be useful."

Jake nodded. "Well, all right," he said. "Perhaps we can use him as bait."

Damon swallowed and Lucy took his hand and they left the creature's latest victims behind and drove out to the countryside.

"It's so peaceful out here," Lucy said. "But it's daytime. How do you expect us to catch any werewolves, uncle Jake?"

"I was inaccurate when I said that it was an actual werewolf," Jake told her. "We don't actually know exactly _what_ it is. It does have werewolf qualities, though." They reached a small cluster of houses and a short, balding man ran at the car. "It's here!" He yelled. "It's here! It's attacking my cattle!"

"Be calm!" Jake said to him. "We came to help." Jake parked the car and followed the man to his pasture, where a creature was running after the terrified cows, nipping at their heels.

Jake gripped both Damon's arms and yelled at the creature. "Don't mess with those!" He yelled. "I've got something better for you! A vampire!"

At the sound of the word 'vampire' the creature's head turned and he changed his plans, leaving the cows be and running at Damon instead. When the creature was close enough that Damon could feel its hot breath one his face. he heard a hiss, saw a shape bound over him and heard Jake shout "No!" The beast sank its teeth into the figure's neck and she crumpled to the floor. Jake dropped Damon immediately, plunged an extra-large wolfsbane dart into the creature's hide and then leaned over the crumpled figure in the grass.

"Damn it, Lucy!" He said. "What the hell did she have to go and do that for?" Lucy was moaning on the ground, her breathing shallow. Her blood was everywhere.

"Maybe she didn't like the idea of you using me as werewolf bait," Damon said. "You go put that _thing_, whatever it is, in the car and take it home. I'll stay here with Lucy. She did this for me. I owe her that much."

Jake gave him a long look and then picked up the creature to put in the car, so he could take it home and study it to figure out exactly _what_ it was, leaving Damon alone with Lucy's body.

"I know you're gonna wake up," he said. "But that doesn't make this any less difficult for me. You got what you wanted. I just hope this will all be worth the trouble."

* * *

Two weeks later, it was Halloween and Selina's birthday. She sat up, feeling pretty good. Then she noticed that she was in bed alone. Again. She threw her covers aside and walked to Laura's bedroom, seeing that the door was closed. She heard Elijah's voice, so she knocked.

"Come in!" He said. She strode inside. He was sitting in Laura's rocking chair, feeding her from a bottle. "You didn't have to do that," Selina said. "You did it all night last night. You can take a break now."

Elijah cuddled Laura to him. "No, it's okay," he said. "I don't mind taking care of my little princess. It doesn't bother me at all." Selina's lip curled and she turned on her heel, walking out of the room, muttering under her breath, "'I don't mind taking care of my little _princess_," She spat out the last word and kicked aside a toy that Gregory had left in the hallway.

"Damn it!" She muttered. "_She's_ not the princess! _I_ am!" She ripped off her nightgown and dressed quickly, then decided to go out, yelling to Elijah that he'd have to watch the kids. She drove to Stefan and Anna's and strode in, sitting down heavily on the sofa.

"You're here by yourself?" Anna asked her. "I would have thought you'd bring Laura with you. I was actually kind of _hoping_ you would. We haven't seen her yet."

"Yeah, well, neither have I, really," Selina said grumpily. "Your brother can't seem to be apart from her for even a second. You know, this is exactly how Roxie started growing up wrong. And he was at it again this morning. You'd think he'd make time for me _today_ at least, seeing as how it's my birthday, but _no_, I don't matter now that he has a little princess to look after."

"Are you jealous of her?" Stefan asked. "It seems like you're jealous of her."

Selina nodded. "I know it's stupid, but it's a werewolf thing. Enid says it happens with girl babies sometimes."

"Do you want this to turn into Roxie the sequel?" Anna asked her.

Selina shook her head. "No. No I don't."

"Then go and tell Elijah to put Laura down for two fricking seconds and listen to you!" Anna said. "I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for why he's acting the way that he is. I'm sure he wouldn't just ignore you on purpose."

Selina nodded. "Right. And I know that. I just, I have to handle this in a calm, mature manner. He responds to that. If I throw a fit, he'll just get pissed off and we'll probably get in a fight."

"What do you say we go to the mall, get you some new outfits so you look awesome and then you can talk to my brother?" Anna suggested.

Selina nodded. "I think I like that plan."

* * *

Elijah was reading in his office after putting Laura and Gregory down for naps when he heard a knock on the office door. "Come in!" He said. The door opened and Selina came in. She was wearing a tight orange sweater and black jeans. "Happy Halloween," she said.

"Happy Halloween," he replied. "You look very festive."

"Yeah?" She asked. "Being festive never hurts. So, how are you?"

"I'm well," Elijah nodded. "How are you?" Selina pushed back the chair on the opposite side of the desk and sat down. "Actually, I'm not all right," she said. "I have a problem, and I thought we could talk it over in a mature, civilized manner."

Elijah put his book down and leaned forward. "What's the problem?" He asked.

"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but I feel like ever since Laura was born, you've been paying a lot of attention to her and next to none to me. Why is that?" Selina asked. "Is it because we're not allowed to have sex for six weeks?"

Elijah sighed. "Yes," he said. "It is."

"Wow," Selina said, standing up quickly and knocking the chair to the ground. I never thought you could be so shallow, Elijah!" She prepared to stride angrily from the room when Elijah grabbed her wrist. "You didn't let me finish," He said. "I'm not done explaining myself."

Selina sat back down, her expression severe. "Dazzle me," she said.

"I've been paying more attention to Laura rather than you because you're beautiful and it physically pains me to be around you, knowing that I can't touch you or make love to you," he said.

"You can still touch me!" she protested. "There's no harm in that!"

Elijah shook his head and grinned at her. "I know myself too well," he said. "I can think that I'm capable of keeping things to only a touch, but that's never enough. Would it be enough for you?" He asked her.

"No," Selina shook her head after a moment. "Not really." She sighed. "I thought you were avoiding me because you liked Laura better."

"Oh, no!" Elijah said. He leaned across the desk and kissed Selina long and deep. When he pulled away, he said, "What made you think that?"

"Well, you called her your princess," Selina said.

Elijah nodded. "Yes, and what is the princess' mother called?"

"The queen," Selina said.

Elijah nodded. "She is my princess and you are my queen." Just then, noise came from the baby monitor. "I'll go see to her," he said. "Then after that, you'll get to have your turn."

"Why can't I take my turn now?" Selina asked.

Elijah grinned. "I've got a surprise for you."

Selina sat alone in the office and then Elijah came back a few minutes later, carrying Laura, who was dressed in a baby-sized pumpkin costume. "Surprise," he said. Selina grinned. "Thanks," she said. "She looks adorable." He put Laura in her lap and said eagerly, "the outfit has a little pocket in it. See what's in it."

Selina put her hand in the little pocket of Laura's costume and pulled out a ring box. "What's this?" She asked.

Elijah took Laura so Selina could open the box and she gasped. It was a silver ring with a large pink tourmaline in a setting surrounded by tiny diamonds. "Wow!" she said. "Oh, my god, Elijah you shouldn't have! Thank you." She put it on. It fit perfectly.

"So you like it?" Elijah asked hopefully.

"Is that a serious question?" Selina asked incredulously. "Of course I like it! It's beautiful."

He kissed the top of her head. "So are you," he said. "Happy birthday, darling."


	16. What I've Never Had

Damon sat in the field cradling Lucy's body for awhile. Then, suddenly, her eyes popped open and she coughed. "Wow," she breathed, her eyes wide. "I thought I was gonna be dead for _much_ longer than that." She sat up. "Oh, I can't wait to see what it's like to be human!" She looked up at the sun, pulled off her ring and then gave a shriek as her hair and skin began to sizzle.

"For god's sake!" Damon yelled, pushing her ring back on her finger. "How much are you gonna put me through today, huh?"

Lucy took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just thought it would work. But something must have gone wrong. I shouldn't have burned like that."

"Well, you did," Damon said. "And now that you've done your little experiment and it's failed miserably, can we just move on, please?"

"No," Lucy shook her head. "Damon, I don't think I can. I want to be human."

"Well, how do you think you'll do that?" Damon asked. "You tried one way and it didn't work."

"I'm sure there are other ways," Lucy said. "And I'll find one." She stomped off and Damon sighed and followed after her grudgingly.

"I don't know what your problem is with this," Lucy said. "Why don't you want me to be human?"

"It's not that I don't _want_ you to," Damon said. "It's just that you've grown up a vampire your whole life. You're used to being able to just make people do whatever you want whenever you want them to. I'm just not sure how well you'd be able to handle people who could tell you 'no' if you couldn't compel them or whatever."

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Now I'm just insulted!" She said. "It's me your talking to, remember? _Not_ Roxie! I would _never_ purposely manipulate people for my own personal gain. Uncle Elijah frowns on that and he made it very clear to me that it's not something I should do unless it's absolutely necessary."

"I'm not saying you'll definitely do that," Damon said. "But it could be a possibility. And you may have been raised by your uncle, but you're still your father's daughter. And your mother's daughter, too, come to think of it. Even she has her moments."

"You're not gonna tell Mom about this, are you?" Lucy asked.

"Why shouldn't I?" Damon asked. "If there's nothing wrong with you wanting to be human?"

"Not that part," Lucy said. "The getting bitten part."

"I have to tell her that," Damon said. "It's the most important part of the whole story."

Lucy groaned. "She's gonna yell at me, I know it!" They plodded along for a little while and then Lucy said, "Why did you let Jake take the car with him? Did you know that we were gonna have to walk back to the clinic?"

"I had some other things on my mind at the time, like the fact that you were bleeding and possibly dead, so excuse me for making us have to walk a bit!" Damon said grumpily.

"Well, fine," Lucy said. "Sor_-ry!"_

They walked in silence for a few minutes and then Lucy stuck out her hand and held Damon's tightly. "I really _am_ sorry," she said. "I honestly thought it would work. But why wouldn't it? I've read Uncle Jake's notes and talked to him and did exactly what the notes said."

"Well, for one, that thing, whatever it was, might not even be a werewolf. And for another, may I remind you that your father is an Original? So that means that you probably have something in you that makes you heal faster or whatever. Your body chemistry is different from a normal vampire's. That's probably another reason why you wouldn't become human if you _were_ bitten by an actual werewolf."

"Damn my miraculous healing powers!" Lucy said. "Damn, damn, damn! Now I'm _never_ gonna be human!"

Damon sighed. "I'm sure we can find a way somehow. Even if it's just for a little while."

* * *

"Phone for you, darling," Elijah said as he poked his head into Laura's room where Selina was dressing her.

"Oh," Selina turned and jogged over to him. "Would you finish up with Laura while I take this, please?"

"Of course," Elijah said. He stared at her until she said, "What?"

"Well," Elijah cleared his throat. "Well, it looks to me as if...you aren't wearing a bra, are you?"

Selina shook her head. "No, but so what? It's easier to fed Laura if I don't. Besides, it's not like I leave the house much anymore, anyway. Thank god I trust Edith and Abby to run the bakery."

"But if you left the house, you'd wear one, right?" Elijah asked. "Because I _know _you have enough self-respect not to let strange men ogle you as you walk down the street."

"They would do that whether I was wearing a bra or not," Selina said. "I'm breast-feeding, so I'm bigger now. That's just a fact of life. And besides, all bras are is an attempt by the patriarchy to suppress women sexually." She sighed. "Maybe I should just do like I did in the sixties and burn all my bras and..."

"Hey!" Damon yelled from the other side of the phone Selina held. "I'm sure the two of you are having an interesting conversation there, but I have something I need to say, so could you put a sock in it for a moment? Unless of course you let me join in this conversation you're having about Selina's chest because I _do_ still have a few opinions."

Selina watched as Elijah's face got redder and redder. "Nah," she said to him. "I think the conversation's closed now." She left Laura's room and shut the door behind her. "So what did you call to say?"

"It's about Lucy," Damon said. "She's not hurt or anything. She just has this idea in her head that she wants to be human and she tried to get a werewolf to bite her but nothing happened and now she's sad cause it didn't work."

Selina's eyes widened and she almost dropped the phone. "My god! Lucy got herself bitten by a werewolf? Is she okay?"

"Yeah," Damon said. "She's fine. I tried to stop her, but would she listen? _No_, so don't you go pinning anything on me."

"I wasn't going to," Selina said. "You told me you tried to stop her and I believe you. Sometimes, that's all you can do. So nothing happened to her? Really?"

"Really," Damon said. "And it was _very_ upsetting for her. I couldn't tell her why it didn't work specifically. The thing that bit her technically wasn't a werewolf. Your uncle is trying to figure out what the hell it really is, but I have this feeling that even if she _did_ get herself bitten by an actual werewolf, it wouldn't be successful because of her Original blood and all."

"Oh, yeah, that _would_ make sense. Vanessa tried to kill Adrian once and he just stood right back up again," Selina said. She sighed. "Tell Lucy to call me tonight and we'll talk about this being human thing."

"Don't try and talk her out of it," Damon said. "She seems pretty firm."

"All right," Selina told him. "I'll handle this from here on out. You just keep talking to her and being supportive. There are worse things she could want than to be human."

"All right," Damon said. "I'm sure she'll be happy to hear that you aren't gonna yell at her for this. That's what she thought at first. And just for the record, let me say that I still think you have a very nice pair of-"

"Stop!" Selina said. "Goodbye, Damon."

She turned the phone off and hung it up before heading back to Laura's room.

"What did he want?" Elijah asked, keeping his eyes on her chest.

"He just wanted to talk to me about Lucy and will you stop looking at my boobs?!" Selina said. "If I don't want to wear a bra, I'm not gonna, all right? You're just gonna have to deal with it!"

"But you don't understand!" Elijah said to her. "They aren't just yours anymore."

"What?" Selina asked, lifting an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'they aren't just yours anymore'? Of course they're mine! They're on _my_ body! Who else's would they be?"

"The second we got married, they became both of ours," Elijah said. "Therefore, I will not let you traipse around _au_ _natural_ for all the world to see. If you leave this house, you cover up. End of discussion!"

"It is _not!" _Selina said. "I-"

"Shhh!" Elijah said. "I said, 'End of discussion' and I meant it!"

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" Selina asked. "You've been biting my head off for weeks and I don't like it!" She paused and whipped off her shirt. "What is it that you want? A little fun time with _our_ boobs?" She rolled her eyes. "All right, fine. Take it."

Elijah's eyes were locked on her. He lowered Laura into her bassinet and strode toward Selina, backing her up against the wall. "You know that this is not the place for this," he said.

"Then where _is_ the place, Elijah?" Selina asked.

He picked her up and put her over his shoulder. "Let me show you," he said. He carried her into their bedroom and put her on the bed. "In here," he said. "This is the place." He climbed up beside her, and loomed over her, looking deeply into her eyes before ripping off his shirt, sending buttons flying.

"Wow," Selina said. "I would have thought you cared too much about that shirt to ruin it."

He grinned, running his fingers lightly over her breasts and then she reached up and unzipped him. "Come inside me," she said. "Deep inside me."

He nodded. "It's been so long," he said. "Let's never wait this long again." Then he kissed her deeply and peeled off her jeans and panties, burying himself inside her as she let out a moan of pleasure.

* * *

When they reached a stopping point, Elijah said, "Just what did Damon call about anyway?"

"He just had something to tell me about Lucy," she said. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

"Is it something bad?" Elijah asked, pushing himself up on his elbows. "Is she in trouble?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "She's just suddenly been overcome with the desire to be human. I suppose it's an okay thing, in a way. Neither Adrian nor Roxie ever wanted anything like that. They're perfectly happy with what they are." She sighed. "I told Damon I'd have a talk with her about it, but I don't even know what I'm gonna say. I mean, I know what it was like to be human and the experience wasn't exactly pleasant."

Elijah kissed down her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll think of something," he said.

"Should I encourage this?" She asked. "Or would that be wrong? I mean, what if I let her be human, even for a little bit and she accidently kills someone? That could happen, you know, and then her werewolf gene will be activated and-" She gasped. "Oh, my god. My mother's voice just flew from her house to land in my mouth! What's _wrong_ with me? You and I raised Lucy well. She knows right from wrong. If she becomes human, nothing bad will happen to her. When I talk to her tonight, I'll tell her that if she can find a way to become human she'll have my blessing."

"You're going to tell Lucy that she can be human _forever_ if she finds a way?" Elijah asked.

"Or, maybe for Christmas, I can talk to Astrid or even Helene and see if there's a spell to make her temporarily human," Selina said. "I don't see the harm in that. Do you?"

Elijah shook his head. "I guess not."

Selina nodded. "All right then. Now that I know what I'm gonna say when I talk to her, I feel so much better about this." She looked at the clock and sighed. "I think we should go and check on the kids now."

"I'll do it," Elijah said. "You just stay here and wait for me."

Selina snuggled under the covers. "Okay," she said. "You go."

Elijah got out of bed and quickly put his pants on before leaving the room to go check on Gregory and Laura. Just as he entered Laura's room, which was near his and Selina's, but not too close, he looked up at the clock and realized that it was time for her to be fed again.

"Let's take you to go see your mother," he said. "And I will go check on Gregory." He dropped Laura off with Selina and then went to see Gregory, who was playing with his blocks. When Elijah came in, Gregory saw him and his eyes lit up. "Dada!" He said. He got to his feet and ran into his arms.

"Hi there," Elijah said. "Don't think I've forgotten about you. What are you playing?"

Gregory sat back down in front of the block tower he'd been building. "Bocks," he said and pushed some in Elijah's direction. "I'll just watch you for a little bit," Elijah said.

He watched Gregory stack blocks on top of one another with care, a somber expression on his young face. When the tower fell over, Elijah thought that his son would burst into tears, but he didn't. He just picked up the blocks and started building again. This time, Elijah decided to help him.

They were on their third tower when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Elijah called.

"If you're not planning on coming back, I'm going to take Laura and check some things out at the bakery," Selina said when she came in. "Will that work for you?"

"Bakey!" Gregory exclaimed, standing up so enthusiastically that he knocked down the tower. "Me go!"

"Don't you want to stay here and build things with your daddy?" Selina asked him.

"You know what?" Elijah asked. "It's okay. You take them and I'll stay here and get some work done in the office."

"Are you sure?" Selina asked. "You're more than welcome to come with us, if you like."

"Thank you, but no," Elijah said. "But would it be out of line for me to ask you to bring me back a really big cookie?"

"All right," Selina said. "I'll bring you back a cookie." She took Gregory's hand and looked down at Laura, who was securely in the carrier she was wearing and said, "All right, troops. Let's go."

"Did you remember to put on a bra?" Elijah asked her.

Selina looked at him for a moment, then handed Laura over. "I'll be back in a second," she sighed and then stomped from Gregory's room.

* * *

"So is today finally the day?" Kevin asked Stefan.

"The day of what?" Stefan asked.

"The day you finally tell me about the woman my father married," Kevin said. "Whenever I ask about her, you always say you'll tell me later. Why can't you just tell me now?"

"Tell you what now, Kevin?" Anna asked.

"Kevin wants to know about Selina," Stefan said.

"Yeah," Kevin nodded. "For some reason, they won't tell me about her. Is she crazy?"

"Hey!" Anna said to him. "You watch your mouth. You happen to be talking about one of my closest friends. Actually, my only closest friend. She is _not_ crazy. Every bad thing she's done in her life has been completely justified."

"Has she ever..._killed_ anyone?" Kevin asked.

"Yes," Anna nodded. "But what vampire hasn't, really? Your father has. He didn't mean to, but it happened. It's in our nature. We're hunters, predators. In order for us to survive, people have to die."

"Yeah," Kevin said. "I guess."

"Now what happened between her and your mother, that was a different story," Stefan began."

"What?" Kevin asked. "What happened to my mother? Is she okay?"

"She's dead," Klaus said. "Selina killed her."

"Why would she want to kill my mother?" Kevin asked, looking shocked.

"Why would you care?" Anna asked him. "Your mother dumped you off at a circus when you were a baby. She abandoned you."

"Well, yeah, but she's still my _mother_!" Kevin exclaimed, standing up.

"Oh, calm down, would you?" Anna said. "I'm sure there's a perfectly logical reason why Selina killed your mother."

"She did it because she was upset about how callously your mother talked about you," Klaus said. "It wounded Selina deeply that a woman could be so cold to her child. That and she was a living ex-girlfriend of your father and Selina has a problem with women who've dated your father. Or any of her exes. She can be the jealous type."

Anna nodded. "She _can_ be, but like I said when we met you, Kevin, she's mostly a sane and loving person. She even owns a bakery and makes cupcakes!"

"Sweeney Todd and Nellie Lovett made pies," Klaus said. "And you remember what was in them. A bake shop doesn't necessarily guarantee goodness."

"Who's side are you on?" Anna asked.

"I'm just saying," Klaus told her.

"Where's her bakery?" Kevin asked. "I want to see her."

"No, you don't!" Anna said quickly.

"Anna's right," Klaus told him. "It's a little early for you to be doing something so rash. Maybe after we've trained you up a bit you can storm the bakery and avenge your mother's death, but not now, all right?"

Kevin sighed and sat down. "Fine," he said. "I'll stay here."

But that night, after Klaus had taken him back to his house, and Klaus and Caroline had gone to bed, Kevin stayed up to do some research on the internet, so he could find out where the bakery was located. He typed in Selina's name and it came up after a bit.

"Selina Warren owns Sweet Emotions bakery," he whispered. "Perfect." He wrote down the address and went to bed.

* * *

The next day, he told Klaus he was going out for some fresh air. "You want me to come with you?" Klaus asked.

Kevin shook his head. "No, thanks. I'll be fine by myself. But can I take your car?"

"Can you drive?" Klaus asked.

"Yeah," Kevin nodded. "I can drive."

Klaus threw him his keys. "Have at it, then."

"Thanks!" Kevin said and bolted before Klaus could ask any more questions. He drove to the bakery, staying in the car for a moment to inhale the smells coming from the building, before reminding himself that the woman who killed his mother was in there. He couldn't enjoy her cupcakes. Even the smell of them. He shut the car door and strode inside.

"Hi," The woman at the counter greeted him. She was pretty, with dark hair and big blue eyes. "What can I get you?"

Kevin shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "What would you recommend?"

She pulled out a pumpkin spice cupcake and handed it to him. "Why don't you have one of these?" She asked. "It's the special."

He smiled and unwrapped it. "Thanks," he said.

"I've never seen you around here," she said. "Are you visiting?"

Kevin nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I'm here to see my father. My name's Kevin." He stuck his hand out.

The woman shook it. "Nice to meet you, Kevin. I'm Selina." Just then, something bumped her from behind and Kevin heard a little giggle. "And this," she said, reaching behind her back and picking up a little boy, "is Gregory. He's my son. He comes to work with me sometimes." She smiled. "Like your cupcake?"

"Yeah," Kevin nodded and took a bite. "It's great. Just wonderful."


	17. For the Greater Good

Kevin finished his cupcake and then drove back to Klaus and Caroline's as fast as he could. "I saw her!" He said as he burst through the door and Klaus and Stefan put down their hands of poker to look up at him.. "I saw Selina and I don't know what the big fuss is. She seems really nice. She had a little kid and she gave me a cupcake and it was all really civil."

"When she asked who you were, what did you say?" Stefan asked.

Kevin shrugged. "I just told her that I was in town to visit my father. That's all. Perfectly reasonable, don't you think? Wait..." he said. "I don't look a lot like my dad, do I? You don't think she'll figure out who I am from looking at me, do you?"

"And he realizes that _after_ he goes to the bakery and shoots off his mouth," Stefan tsked and shook his head. "You would think that a son of Elijah's would be smarter than that."

"You can't blame him," Klaus said, putting five dollars in the pot. "After all, he did grow up in a circus. Not exactly the best place to go to learn common sense."

"Hey!" Kevin exclaimed. "Watch it. It's not like I chose to grow up at the circus. It was a choice that was foisted on me by my mother."

Stefan looked up. "Look at you using big words like 'foisted'. That must've been some circus."

Kevin nodded. "One of the acrobats had a Masters in English," he explained. "She always used a lot of big words." He paused. "So, where does my father live?"

"With Selina," Stefan said. "But if you ask me, you've already met enough new people for the day." He handed Kevin his cards. "Play my hand for me, would you? I have to make a phone call."

He went to the phone and called Selina at the bakery.

"I have a question," he said to her when she answered the phone. "Did a guy stop by the bakery about ten minutes ago? dark eyes, kind of pale, longish brown hair, told you he was in town to visit his father?"

"Yeah," Selina said. "We had a very nice conversation and Gregory seemed to take to him. Why?"

"Was there anything about him that struck you as familiar?" Stefan asked.

"No," Selina said. "Why?" Her voice was suspicious now.

"No reason," Stefan said. "I have to go now. Goodbye." He hung up quickly and went back to the room where the poker game was in progress. "All right," he said to Kevin. "The good news is, she didn't suspect anything when she saw you."

"What's the bad news?" Klaus asked.

"The bad news is that she might soon," Stefan said. "But we might have more time than we think to find a way to get her off our trail. When I asked her if she recognized you, I didn't say a thing about Elijah."

* * *

Selina hung up the phone. "Well that was odd," she said to herself. She wet a rag and cleaned out the inside of the bakery case, then the phone rang again. "Hello?" She said. "Sweet Emotions bakery. How can I help you?"

"It's Anna," the voice on the other end of the line said. "Can you get away for awhile? I have to show you the most amazing thing I found when I was cleaning my closet out."

"What is it?" Selina asked.

"I won't tell you now," Anna said. "You just come over to the house and see what it is for yourself."

"Are you home alone?" Selina asked. "Or is Stefan there too?"

"No, he's not," Anna assured her. "He's having a poker day with Nik."

"All right," Selina said. "I'll bring Gregory home and then come and see you, all right?"

"All right," Anna nodded. "I'll be waiting for you."

* * *

"So what is this thing you're so eager for me to see?" Selina asked.

Anna led her to the living room, where an old book sat on the table. The cover was graying with patches of the hot pink it had once been showing occasionally. The title was still legible, but just barely: **How to Be Sexy, Successful and Single: A Guide For the Liberated Woman**, by Serena Novak.

"Oh, my god!" Selina exclaimed. "I haven't thought about this book in _years_ and here you still have your copy!"

Anna grinned. "You want to read it so you can see how angry and bitter you were?"

"Sure," Selina said. "Why not? I can't even remember now why I was so angry anyway."

Elijah picked the book up off the counter and looked it over. "**How to Be Sexy, Successful and Single: A Guide For the Liberated Woman**." He sighed. "I thought she was done with it," he whispered to himself. Or at least that's what she'd told him all those years ago...

_"Sera, tell me something," Elijah was looking at the woman he'd loved once who now had tears in her eyes, and he was trying to figure out why. "Sera, why did you write this book?"_

_She looked up at him. "Selina," she sniffled._

_"What?" He asked._

_"Selina," she repeated. "My name is Selina. I change it every decade or so, but that's what it really is."_

_"You never told me that," he said._

_She shrugged. "I figure that now is as good a time as any to tell you."_

_"Tell me why you wrote this book," he said. "Why in the world would you write something that tells women love is bad and that it's better to be alone?"_

_"Because it is!" She burst out. "You think you love someone, and then they leave you for someone else, just leave period, or send you away and you spend years and years alone!"_

_"I didn't want to leave you!" He said. "I had to though. My father would have killed you otherwise. You know that." He sighed. "But have you been good for the last forty years? Have you killed anyone?"_

_"No," she shook her head. "I haven't. Why?"_

_"Because now my father has lost interest in you," he said. "So if you wanted, I could stay."_

_She shook her head. "Not now. I can't. If I were to get into a long-term relationship, I would lose all my credibility! My book would be ruined!"_

_"Or you'd be happy," Elijah said. "It just depends on what you want."_

_Selina shook her head. "I'm happy as it is," she said. "But thank you. You're one of the few people who's ever actually been concerned for me." She paused. "So what will you do now? Will you go?"_

_"No," he said, pulling her to him. "I'm going to do what I should have done years ago." He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply, not letting her go for a second. Then they pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes before Selina lifted up her arms. "Put your hands on me," she said. "That would make me happy."_

_"I don't really know if that's what's best for you right now," he said. "I think I-"_

_"Please," Selina interrupted him. "Stop thinking." Elijah looked at her, blinked and nodded, peeling off her dress. "All right," he said, picking her up and carrying her to her bedroom. He put her on the bed and undressed the rest of the way and then they made love. When they'd finished, he grinned at her._

_"See?" he said. "That's what it feels like to make love to someone who loves you back. There's nothing shameful about it, is there?"_

_Selina shook her head. "No, I guess not. But this isn't going to work. Unless of course you'd be willing to just stop by a few times a week in the dead of night. Then we might be able to work something out."_

_"No," Elijah said. "I can't do that. I can't stand idly by and enable this hedonistic behavior that is clearly harming you more than it's helping you. Why do you keep having these empty, loveless one night stands when you know that you could have something better?"_

_"Can I really have something better?" Selina asked. "Every time I think I can, something goes wrong."_

_Elijah nodded. "Of course you can. Let me prove it to you. But if I agree to do this, you have to agree that you won't go any further with this 'anti-love' nonsense you've got going on. And by that I mean, no more books. You have to swear that you're done with them. I understand that this one has already been published and you have obligations concerning it, but no more."_

_"All right," Selina nodded. "No more."_

_Elijah smiled and hugged her. "Good," he said. "Let me get dressed and go back to get my things. I should be back later tonight."_

* * *

_"So," Klaus said when Elijah stepped inside. "What took you so long to get back? You told me that you were going to go see her and then leave. Tell me everything." He grinned wickedly. "Was she miserable? I hope she was miserable."_

_"Why is it that you take such delight in her misery?" Elijah asked._

_"She abandoned me!" Klaus said. "Am I supposed to just sit back and take it? This is payback for every bit of misery she caused me forty years ago."_

_Elijah sighed. "Well frankly, and I will never tell her this, now I'm beginning to think it would have been better for her to go with you. At least she wouldn't have been so lonely that way."_

_"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "She would have had me, I would have had her, and neither of us would have had to be alone. But she thought she was much smarter than me. Went off by herself, and all I had left of her was a note from the train station covered in her perfume. So, is she as miserable as me?"_

_"Yes," Elijah nodded. "But I intend to remedy that situation. I'm going to move in with her."_

_"You're not," Klaus said. "Elijah, how can you side with the woman who betrayed me? How can you comfort her and make her happy?"_

_"It's simple," Elijah said. "She's upset, she needs comforting and you're too angry and foolish to do it yourself. So therefore, the job falls to me." He started to walk away and Klaus said, "She wouldn't remember me. She came by when I had that bar in Chicago in '42 and tried to apologize, but I decided it would be less messy to make her forget me and us instead."_

_Elijah turned. "Well, how fortunate for her. You did her a favor that day, Niklaus." He went to his room and shut the door behind him, leaving Klaus to stand in the hallway, and came out half an hour later, clutching a suitcase. "I'll come back for the rest of my things later," he said. "Goodbye, Niklaus."_

_"That _is_ an appropriate thing to say, brother," Klaus told him. Elijah heard a whoosh! and moved just in time to avoid being impaled with a white oak stake. He sped out of the house and drove down to Selina's. When she answered the door, he was breathing hard._

_"What's the matter?" She asked._

_Elijah shook his head. "It's nothing," he said. "Family problems. Don't worry about it."_

_He took his clothes to Selina's room and after moving things around a bit, they finally had enough space for his stuff and her stuff._

_"There," She said as she tucked in her last sweater and shut the bottom drawer of the dresser. "All nice and snug." Then she smiled at him. "Thank you for this," she said. "For moving in with me and all. Because you know, you're right. I've been living this way since I published the book five years ago. I figured that at the century mark, my life would finally come together, but no such luck. So I wrote the book, it made me a ton of money, and it made me happy for awhile, but now that you're here, that all seems so empty. Now that you're here, I just want to be loved. I love you, Elijah."_

_Just then, they heard a crash outside the house. "What was that?" Selina asked._

_"I don't know," Elijah said. "Let's go and see." They hurried out to the yard where they found Klaus on the ground, a reel-to-reel tape deck on the ground beside him. "I saved it!" He exclaimed. "It didn't get damaged when I fell out of the tree!"_

_"Who the hell are you?!" Selina asked. "What are you doing with that?"_

_"Oh, nothing," Klaus said. "But congratulations on confessing your love to my brother. He said that would be the one thing that would get you to give up on your stupid book! And I said I'd be waiting out here with this tape recorder just so he'd have proof that you said what you said. He's lost quite a few girlfriends because of that little book of yours."_

_"What?" Selina asked, looking at Elijah. "How could you do that? How could you ask me to give up my book just because you're sore about losing a couple of girlfriends?"_

_"That's not me!" Elijah exclaimed. "My brother is the one who's lost women because of your book. Not me!"_

_"Save it!" Selina said. She had tears in her eyes. "I thought you'd be different, but apparently not. You're just like all the rest of them. You act like you're a nice guy, make me feel all secure and then bring the hammer down. I should have known, shouldn't I?"_

_She stomped off and Elijah looked at Klaus. "I'm going to rip off your head," he said, picking him up by the lapels of his coat and banging him against the trunk of the tree he'd fallen out of._

_Klaus grinned. "Or how about I just leave so you never have to set eyes on me again? That would be a lot less messy."_

_"All right," Elijah said quietly. "Even though it's a mercy you don't deserve. Run, Niklaus. Run away and never set eyes on me again. Because if you do, I will kill you. That's a promise." He let him go and Klaus took off running. Sighing, Elijah went back into the house and found Selina sobbing on her bed. He put a hand on her back. "Selina?" He asked._

_"Don't you touch me!" She snapped. "I hate you! Go away!"_

_He nodded. "I will. I take full responsibility for this. I should have insisted that you go with my brother forty years ago, but I didn't, so now you're miserable and it's all my fault. Therefore, I will do the one good thing I can at this point: Make you forget today ever happened." He locked eyes with her. "Although it pains me greatly to say this, you'll remember nothing about today. You'll go to sleep, wake up in the morning, and go back to having meaningless relationships with men who don't care about you because clearly, that's all your ready for now. I should have realized that, and I'm sorry." He kissed her on the forehead. "Goodbye, Selina." He let her go, stood up, and walked out of the room and the house, and with a heavy heart, left the woman he loved...again._

* * *

"What are you looking at?" Selina's voice broke into his reverie and he started badly.

"What's the matter with you?" Selina asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I'm fine. Well, no I'm not." He sighed. "Seeing this book, it stirred up some feelings in me."

"Yeah, I know," Selina said. "You hate it. You probably don't want it in the house, do you? Anna just gave it to me so I could have a look at how angry and bitter I was back then and be grateful for how good my life is now. Cause it is. I've got my business, some great kids, and a guy who loves me. I'm not wanting for anything." She smiled and hugged him. Elijah squirmed uncomfortably and pulled out of her grasp.

"What's the matter?" Selina asked. "Are you all right?"

Elijah shook his head. "There's something you should know: In '69, you and I met up again. You'd been living with the book's notoriety for five years and the novelty was beginning to wear off. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I do. I remember wanting to be in a real relationship by '69, but I don't remember us ever meeting. All I remember is you sending me off on the boat in '29 and then seeing you again when I was together with Nicky. What are you talking about with the rest of it?"

"We did meet," he said. "I came by your apartment and we talked and I mentioned that since my father was no longer interested in you that we could consider moving in together and you said yes." He sighed. "We made love and I promised you that being with me would be the beginning of a new life for you where you would feel loved and secure and protected. But then Niklaus got jealous, partially because your book had cost him several of his harem of women and partially because I was showing affection for the woman who he felt had betrayed him. So he recorded us expressing our feelings for one another and made it seem like I had asked him to and that it was _I _who had lost all the women because of your book and wanted revenge. It upset you. You ordered me to go away. And because I didn't want you to think of me as just another man who'd broken your heart, I made you forget that day, and all the bad things that were wrongly attributed to me." He shut his eyes. "I just thought you should know." He opened his eyes. Selina was frowning deeply.

"Well, thanks a lot!" She said and punched him. "Thanks for nothing!"

* * *

"Are you all right?" Sam asked Corrie, standing outside her hotel room door. Her uncle had made himself a permanent part of their entourage and ever since he had, the pair hadn't had a second alone.

Corrie turned. "You shouldn't be in my room. My uncle went to the bar, but that was a long time ago. If he comes back and sees you, bad things could happen and I don't want that. I love you too much."

Sighing, Sam stepped further into the room. "I don't care what things your uncle can do. I just don't. How bad can they be, really?" He put his arms around her and Corrie pushed him away. "No, don't," she said firmly. "That's what caused this. We got too close too fast. We were careless."

Sam shrugged. "So we'll be more careful now. There are places we can go where your uncle won't find out. And even if he does, I'll fight him. Any guy who would make you as miserable as you are right now deserves to be dead."

Corrie put a hand on his cheek. "You're so sweet," she said. "But my uncle can't be killed. He's immortal. You, however, are not. So let's just resume our client-manager relationship and forget that either of us ever saw the other naked. It'll be better for you that way."

"But-" Sam began.

"Goodbye, Sam," she said. "You and the boys better get your instruments together. Your show begins in half an hour and there are record company scouts at this one!"

Sam sighed. "All right," he said. "You've made your point. I'll go." He left and shut the door behind him.

"You don't mean that, do you?" Joshua asked. "Or at least Father wouldn't."

Sam looked up. "Why do you assume that just because Dad acts a certain way, I'm gonna act the same way?"

"Experience," Joshua said. "You two are much too alike for my comfort sometimes."

Sam frowned. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Well," Joshua cleared his throat. "I heard what happened in there. She ended things with you, didn't she?"

Sam nodded. "Well, kind of. Yes."

"And you're not going to accept that, are you?" Joshua asked.

Sam shook his head. "There's no reason for us to break up! The only reason why she said anything is because she's afraid of that uncle of hers. She still likes me and everything. So if he were, you know, gone, then she'd have no reason to want to be separated from me."

"So your plan is to get rid of her uncle, right?" Joshua asked.

Sam nodded. "Well, yeah. What other solution is there?"

"Well," Joshua answered, straightening out the collar of his suit jacket, "You could leave her and her uncle alone and let them sort their mess out for themselves. You don't have to be involved. This is none of your business."

"What?" Sam asked. "How is the happiness of the woman that I love none of my business? You should see her, Joshua. She's miserable and it's all her uncle's fault!"

"But what can you do about it?" Joshua asked. "She's made it very clear that she wants to handle this by herself and you should respect that."

"Why?" Sam asked. "Why should I respect her decision to stay miserable when I can make her feel better?"

"Because as Americans, we have a duty to uphold people's right to be miserable if they choose to be," Joshua said. "If you get involved in this business with Corrie and her uncle, it will upset her and just make things worse for you. What you see as a heroic rescue, she would just see as interference. Why can't you believe her when she says her uncle could cause you harm? Why can't you let _her_ protect _you_?"

Sam shook his head. "I don't need to be protected by a girl," he said and strode off to the bus that would take the band to the arena.

* * *

"Father," Joshua said, appearing beside Damon on the sofa. "We have to talk. It's about Sam." Damon started badly. "Could you warn a guy before you just appear like that?" He asked. He paused. "What _about_ Sam?"

"Well," Joshua said, "a situation has arisen that I don't think I'll be able to handle myself. You remember Sam's lady love Corrie? I believe he brought her to your birthday party."

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "He did. What about her?"

"Well, the easiest way for me to explain it is that she has an uncle who is incredibly possessive of her and upset about her paying attention to men. Because of this uncle, she has decided to end her relationship with Sam and Sam isn't taking it well. I've tried to talk reason with him, but he's got it in his head that he has an obligation to stop Corrie from being unhappy because he loves her, even though she _told_ him explicitly to stay out of the whole situation and now I'm afraid Sam will do something rash that will get him hurt or killed. Can't _you_ talk to him, Father? Please?"

"Well, I would love to, but unlike you, I just can't pop in and out whenever and wherever I like," Damon said. "Where_ is _Sam now? Greece?"

"Yes," Joshua nodded. "Greece. I believe they have a show in an arena near the Parthenon tonight or something."

"Well, I would _love_ to go and put Sam in his place, but I really don't have the time," Damon said. "I'm a little busy at the moment."

"'A little busy'?" Joshua asked incredulously. "Father, what could be more important than the welfare of your son?! He could very well get himself _killed_ over this!"

"Yes, well Lucy has decided that she wants to become human," Damon said shortly. "And she's been doing things that are more risky by the _day_ to make sure that happens. And that's even _after_ she and your mother talked and your mother assured her that they'd find some way to let her experience a human life as a Christmas present. So you can appreciate the fact that I've got a lot to deal with at the moment here."

"No, I can't!" Joshua burst out. "I will _never_ be able to understand how you can show more concern for a woman that you're dating than your own child!"

"Well, I'm sorry," Damon shot back. "But when Sam left, he ceased to be my number one priority, and how could he be? He left! He's gone! Yes, we write letters to each other and emails, but that's not the same as living in the same house and seeing each other on a daily basis. Why should I be expected to put Sam first when he just went off and left me alone? Lucy saved me from that and I owe her. Joshua, please accept that Sam has his life and I have mine and stop trying to make me feel guilty for being happy. Do you think you can do that for me? Please?"

"All right, Father," Joshua said, his voice shaking. "But I've tried my best to dissuade Sam and if anything happens to him as a result of a lack of reinforcement from you, whatever it is will be on your head."

* * *

"Talented boys, aren't they?" Corrie turned away from the stage to face her uncle. "Yes," she said. "They are. That's why I decided to give them a chance. They're good at what they do and people deserve to enjoy their talents."

Hades gave her a piercing glance. "Am I correct when I say that their music isn't the only talent of theirs you're aware of? How often have you visited the bed of the young man who's doing the singing? And don't lie to me. It won't do you any good."

"All right," she said, her eyes looking into his. "Often. Until you showed your face, we were together every evening. But since he doesn't deserve to be smote, I told him it would be best to end things."

"Now why would you do that if you love him, Persephone?" Hades asked. "Why not stay with him and let him love you?" He reached out and moved a dark strand of her hair off her face.

"Because you couldn't stand that," Corrie spat, flinching at his use of her real name. "You don't like seeing me with other men and you'd hurt him."

"No," Hades shook his head. "I wouldn't." He looked out the curtain at the small crowd come to watch the band. "In fact, I'm feeling particularly generous at the moment. Inclined to help. If the boys are as talented as you say, they deserve a much bigger crowd than this. I could make that happen. Will you let me?"

"What are you going to do?" Corrie asked nervously.

"Ah-ah, dear," Hades said, shaking his finger. "I don't want to ruin the surprise. You'll find out tomorrow."

* * *

Sam was roughly shaken awake the next morning. He sniffed and looked at his terrified band mates, who were standing over him. "What?" He asked woozily. He sniffed. "Is something burning?"

"Yeah," one of them said. "You are."

Sam looked down at his pants and let out a shriek, moving away from the open window. "Shut the curtain!" He demanded. "Now!" His band mates quickly shut the curtains. "Are you all right?" They asked.

"Maybe not," Sam said. He took the knife he'd cut apples with the night before and handed it to the drummer. "Cut yourself with this," he said.

"What? Are you insane?" His friend asked.

"Cut yourself with the knife!" Sam yelled forcefully. And as his band mates watched in horror, the drummer cut himself and Sam pounced on his wrist, sucking greedily. When he finally stopped, someone had to call an ambulance.

"How did this happen to me?" Sam asked himself. He grabbed his phone and called his father. "Dad? I have a problem. A _big_ problem."

"What kind of problem?" Damon asked.

"Dad," Sam said, "I don't know how it happened, but...I'm a vampire."


	18. Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Selina slammed one of Elissavetta's porcelain plates on the floor, making it shatter into a million tiny pieces. And then her mother's little Dresden shepherdess. Then she emptied out the china cabinet and broke all those dishes too, but when she held a red Ming vase over her head, Elijah felt the need to step in. "Don't you throw that," he said. "I've had it for years. It means a lot to me!"

"Do I look like I care?" Selina asked, grabbing him by the collar.

"No," he shook his head. She threw something else on the floor just as Gregory came in. "I help," he said and pushed a plate on the floor, then when Selina smiled at him and patted him on the head, he pushed down another one.

"Not you too!" Elijah said. Then they heard crying.

"Great!" Elijah threw his hands up. "The two of you woke Laura!"

"Would you take care of her?" Selina asked without looking up. "Thanks a lot."

Elijah rolled his eyes and went upstairs where poor little Laura was crying with all her might. "It's all right," he said, picking her up and sitting down in the rocking chair with her. "Your mother is mad at me and she's acting insane, but she'll be over it soon...I hope. I don't mind that so much. She has every right to be angry at me, at least for a little while, but to encourage your brother to do the same sort of behavior..." He sighed. "I didn't mean to do what I did," he said. "Your uncle loved your mother too, but thanks to me, he lost her. I didn't tell him about my part in her disappearance right away, so he went on for years thinking that she had just decided to up and leave him without so much as a real goodbye and it upset him. Years later, I saw your mother again. I was still in love with her and she was basking in the success of a ridiculous book about how women should live their lives without love because love was just messy and got in the way. Now there was a time I would have agreed with that. A very long span of time, as a matter of fact. But your mother, she changed my whole perspective. Instead of encouraging her to be lonely, all I wanted to do every time I saw her was help her heal. And it worked until your uncle tricked her into believing that I was aiding him in ruining her, thus making me as bad as all the other men she'd dated. She ordered me to go after that and I agreed that it would be best, but not before I got rid of every bad memory of us. I initially tricked myself into believing that I did it to save her the pain, but I did it just as much to save myself, maybe even more so. I wanted her to still like me, so just in case we had the opportunity to give our relationship one more try, she'd be willing and we wouldn't have to go through the mess of fighting and making up again." He sighed. Laura was staring up at him, seeming absorbed in what he was saying.

"But It didn't work, I guess," he said. "I should have just let her remember, like I did the first time I sent her away. Oh, well. What's done has been done and now all I can do is wait, I guess."

Just then, there was a knock on Laura's bedroom door. Then Selina opened it and came in. "I thought you'd be in here," she said to him. "I have to feed Laura now."

Elijah nodded and handed her over. "I guess I'll go and clean up the kitchen."

"There's no need," Selina said. "I already did that. It was my mess, so cleaning it up was my responsibility."

Elijah nodded. "All right," he said. "If you need me, I'll be in the library with Gregory."

Selina nodded. "Fine," she said. "Whatever." He sighed and left, going to Gregory's room. "Would you like to come and read with me?" He asked.

Gregory nodded, got up off the floor, took Elijah's hand and the two of them went to the office to read a book together.

* * *

After Selina fed Laura, instead of putting her back in her bassinet, she brought her into the living room and put her on a blanket on the floor. "I have something I need to say," she said. "And I can say it safely out here because your father has gone to his office and it takes him forever to come out once he's gone in there." She sighed. "The fact is, I guess I'm not really so mad at him anymore. I mean, yeah, in a sense he _lied_ to me and manipulated my feelings just to make himself look good, but really, how does that make him worse than any of the other guys I've dated? It makes him exactly the same, in a sense, not all the way, but a part of me finds that comforting. Sometimes, he seems so moral and good that I forget he's just a guy, you know? A guy who's more highly evolved, but still, a guy, and it's refreshing to see him act like it once in awhile. Not that I'd want him to be such a guy _all_ the time, but once in a blue moon doesn't hurt. And he _does_ seem genuinely sorry for what he did. I believe that. I'll forgive him in a day or two. Just to make it clear that he shouldn't do this to me again. That's the thing about men, Laura. You've got to have principles. You've got to have standards. You can't just go weak at the knees every time they flash muscles, white teeth and wavy dark hair at you and say a few pretty words." She rubbed Laura's tummy and Laura gurgled and spit up. Selina wiped her off and then took her back to her room to change her clothes.

* * *

"Well look at you," Damon said as he walked into Lucy's studio and found her sketching what seemed to be a picture of the thing that had attacked her. "You're sketching. I forgot you did that, what with your wanting to be human so bad and all. I thought you'd forgotten how to do normal things."

Lucy looked up at him. "Do you _swear_ that Mom said she would think about doing something that will allow me to experience life as a human for my Christmas present? You're not just making that up?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "Lucy, I am _not_ making that up. Why do you think I would do something like that to you?"

"Because you're mad at me," Lucy muttered. "It would be the perfect way to get me back, wouldn't it?"

"But it would accomplish nothing," Damon said. "And unfortunately, I don't have time to be that lazy. I have to fly off to Greece for a few days and if you swear that you'll do nothing but paint while I'm gone, you can stay here."

"Oh, no!" Lucy said, standing up. "Of course I'll be coming with you. What do you need to go to Greece for?"

Damon sighed. "You have to promise you'll handle my next remark like a grown up and not say anything smart, but Sam called and told me that he thinks he's become a vampire."

Lucy's jaw dropped. "What? How? Have you told Mom about this? It'll make her just...it'll drive her nuts!"

Damon shook his head. "This just isn't something I'm going to tell your mother over the phone," he said. "When we get to Greece and find Sam, I'm going to bring him home and _that's_ when I'm going to tell your mother."

"Maybe I should tell her," Lucy said. "It might be easier to hear coming from me."

Damon shook his head. "That's sweet of you to offer, Cookie Monster, but I can tell her. It's all right."

"I'll go and pack some things. We should probably go as fast as possible, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "We should."

* * *

"Oh, Sammy," Corrie said when she finally saw him. "I'm so sorry. I knew he'd do something like this to you."

"It's not so bad," Sam said. He let go of the woman he was drinking from and sent her on her way. "Worse could have happened."

"How can you say that?" Corrie exclaimed. "To be turned into something you probably don't believe in, much less think could be real...I can't imagine what that feels like!"

"Actually, I've believed in vampires my whole life," Sam said. "My dad's one. And my mom. And my uncle. My brother is the only one who wasn't and that's because he was born before Mom and Dad turned and that was more than a hundred years ago."

"Wait," Corrie said. "So your parents are vampires?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. He went to his suitcase and pulled out the photograph of his parents that he always carried with him. "There they are," he said. "That was taken thirty years ago, I think."

"Wow," Corrie said. "They look so young. If I would have just seen them, I never would have guessed they were your _parents_." She looked up at him. "And they have blue eyes, just like you. How funny."

"Why would that be funny?" Sam asked.

"Well, back years ago," Corrie explained, "you know, in ancient Greece when people actually believed in us, it was the blue eyed people that were always thought to be vampires. That's probably why my uncle did what he did to you. But you're really not upset about it?"

Sam scoffed. "Oh, please," he said. "_I'm_ not. It'll finally make me even with my sister Lucy. She was born a vampire! But my mom, she's the one who might have a problem with it. She always thought I was gonna be her special human guy and now that's been blown to hell. But really. I'm all right with it. I swear."

"All right," Corrie said skeptically. "If you're sure."

She left him and caught up with her uncle. "You are so lucky!" She said to him. "Sam doesn't seem fazed at all by your trick. How could you do that to him?"

"How could I _not_?" Hades asked. "He encroached on my territory. I have every right to do what I did."

"I may have to live with you six months out of the year, but I am _not_ your territory!" Corrie exclaimed.

Hades just grinned. "What month is it?" He asked.

"November," Corrie said quietly.

Hades nodded. "Exactly. That mean that for another...four months, you have to do as I say and you cannot protest anything. As for what I've done to young Sam, it doesn't seem to have caused him much harm and who knows? This might be the best thing that ever happened to this band."

* * *

"What are the two of you doing here?" Sam asked a few hours later when Damon and Lucy strode into his hotel room.

"What do you mean 'what are we doing here?" Damon asked. "You called me up and told me that you thought you'd become a vampire! Did you think I was just going to ignore that?"

"Well, no," Sam shook his head and looked sourly at Lucy. "But why did you have to bring _her_? Did you figure you'd mix business with pleasure?"

"No," Lucy said. "I just wanted to see you and support you in your transition. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No!" Sam said in genuine surprise. "Is that why you really came?"

She nodded, looking affronted. "Yes!"

"Well, I'm sorry," he said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Lucy said. "Now, pack some stuff. We have to take you home for a few days."

"But I can't go anywhere!" Sam protested. "We're in the middle of a tour! We have shows to do!"

"Well, you won't do your adoring fans a lot of good if you have a daytime show and burn to a crisp on stage because you don't have a daylight ring," Lucy said. "That's why we need to take you home. So we can get you acclimated, get you a ring...and tell Mom what happened to you."

"Do we really _have_ to tell Mom?" Sam asked. "Wouldn't she be happier if she didn't know?"

"I wouldn't go that way if I were you," Damon said. "When she and I were separated after I got back from the war and I got involved with the woman who turned me, I thought it would be best not to tell your mother about _her_ either and, as you know, that really fucked us up."

"You being with another woman and me turning into a vampire are two totally different things," Sam said. "As you can see, I've turned but I'm managing it fine, don't you think? Therefore, it is unnecessary to tell Mom and worry her a whole bunch when there really is nothing for her to worry_ about_."

"You were feeding from a person," Damon said. "Consider me worried. Or close to being worried."

"Feeding from actual people is a bad habit," Lucy said.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Sam asked.

"Use blood bags," Damon said. "You get the benefits of consuming human blood without the problem of arousing suspicion every time you feed."

"Dad, we travel city to city," Sam pointed out. "How am I supposed to get my hands on a steady supply of blood bags? I think it would just be easier for me to take blood from my groupies, don't you? I mean, it's not like they wouldn't be willing, and I'd be very good about making them forget."

"We'll talk more about it when we get home," Damon said. "In the meantime, get your stuff. We need to head back to the airport."

"What's going on?" Corrie asked, striding into the room. When she saw Damon, she stopped. "Hi," she said. "Sam didn't tell me you were coming."

"Well, that's because he didn't know," Damon said. "His sister and I have to take him home to attend to certain things now that he's in the condition that he's in, so would you mind doing whatever it is you have to do in order to get the band's shows postponed while we do that?"

"Oh, of course," Corrie nodded. "And I'm really sorry about that, by the way. When he and I got together, I had no idea that it would lead to something like this happening to him. I guess we should have kept things slow, shouldn't we?"

"Well, I don't blame you for being fast," Damon said. "Stuff like that must be genetic and he probably couldn't help himself."

"That's a compliment for you," Sam told Corrie. "I think." He stood up. "I think I'll go and pack now." He went and came back dragging a half-open suitcase full of wrinkly clothes with him a few minutes later. "All right," he said. "Let's go."

"My god, Sam!" Lucy said, looking horrified. "Please tell me that's not how you pack all the time."

"What's wrong with the way I pack?" Sam asked, dropping the bag with a _thump. _"Does it offend you somehow?"

"Yes," Lucy nodded. "It does!" She threw aside the lid of the suitcase and flinched. "How long has it been since you've done laundry?" She asked him, gingerly taking out his wrinkled clothes and folding them before putting them back in his suitcase, with the exception of his underwear, which she refused to touch.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. A week, maybe. They give us new clothes for every show. Washing is practically unnecessary for me."

Lucy looked at Damon. "You're so neat!" she said, then looked sorrowfully at Sam. "_How _is it that he's such a slob?"

Damon shrugged. "Don't look at me. I didn't raise him."

"And there's the problem!" Lucy said. She looked at Sam. "Be neater. It'll be better for you in the long run."

"Yes, Mother," Sam grumbled.

"Now that we've wrung all the water we can out of that particular problem, can we focus on the bigger problem at hand?" Damon asked. "Sam, grab your bags and let's head to the airport."

"All right," Sam said. "But I'm _not_ sitting next to Lucy."

* * *

"Thank you for coming," Elijah said when he opened the front door and saw Alistair standing on the other side. "We need to have a talk."

"What about?" Alistair asked, stepping inside. "Has something happened?"

"Well, you remember in the sixties when Selina wrote that book and I decided it would be a good idea to go see her and cheer her up because the only reason someone would write something like that was if they were deeply troubled, but then Niklaus found out and got jealous, even though he was still mad at her for leaving him in '29 and when I decided to move in with her, proceeded to make her think that I had only suggested resuming our physical relationship as a way to control her and ruin her life?"

Alistair nodded. "And then you made her forget everything. I _told_ you that wasn't a good idea. Didn't I tell you that?"

"Yes," Elijah sighed.

"And let me guess," Alistair continued. "She found out what you did and now she's mad at you."

"A bit," Elijah nodded. "What should I do?"

"Well, you have two options, really," Alistair said. "You could either give her her space until she decides she wants to be with you again, which given the situation you're in might be the better choice, or you could do what your brother used to do and bribe her with flowers and candy."

"Well, of course I don't want to try and force her to do anything she's not ready to do," Elijah said. "But then again..." He shut his eyes, picturing the shirt and tiny shorts Selina usually wore for the two seconds before he took them off her at bedtime and how she looked after he took them off.

"Elijah?" Alistair's voice suddenly snapped him out of his reverie. "What?"

"Are you all right?" Alistair asked. "Are you still with me? What have you decided?"

"I think I need to go to the store," Elijah said.

"Are you sure?" Alistair asked.

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I'm _very_ sure."

"Well in that case, you shouldn't need to go all the way to the store," Alistair said, and at that moment, a dozen pink roses and a heart-shaped box of caramels appeared. "There you go," he said. "But you can't say I didn't warn you if things don't go the way you planned."

"Thank you for the warning, Alistair," Elijah said. "I've prepared myself for that."

Just then, Alistair's phone rang. "Yes?" He asked. He listened for a little while and then took the phone away from his ear. "It's Helene," he said. "Apparently, Damon and Lucy have showed up at her house with Sam. And he's a vampire. They want her to make a ring for him."

"That's something Selina will _not _be happy to hear about," Elijah said.

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "What you did might not seem so bad after that. But it's not your place to tell her."

"No, of course not!" Elijah shook his head. "I would never. So does Helene need you to go and help her?"

"No," Alistair shook his head. "She's just keeping me up to date. I suppose I could stay here until Selina comes. Where did she go?"

"She and Laura went out to the market," Elijah said. "She said she needed to get some more stuff for the bakery. She goes about two or three times a week."

Alistair nodded. "So, do you want me to stay?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I do."

* * *

"I have to wear a _ring_?" Sam exclaimed in horror. "You can't be serious! I'm a guy and I'm not even married! I'm a rock star! I have a certain image I want to project!"

"And what image is that?" Helene asked.

"Wild and dangerous!" Sam replied. "And I can't do that if I'm wearing a ring. That's just gonna scare all the girls away."

"You honestly believe that?" Damon asked. "Clearly you didn't live with me long enough."

"Clearly the entire time I _did_ live with you, you spent all your time missing Mom," Sam said. "And even now that you aren't doing that anymore, you didn't really make a big effort to branch out." He eyed Lucy sourly.

"Will you let that _go_?" Lucy exclaimed. "All the sour looks in the world won't change anything. And besides, you have Corrie, so I don't know what you're fussing about. It was your screwing around with her that made this happen. Or am I wrong about that?"

Sam launched himself at Lucy and the two of them began rolling around on the floor, punching and kicking. "Hey, hey, hey!" Damon said, pulling Sam off his sister. "That's enough! I don't want you two fighting with each other over this, all right? Shit happens and we're dealing with it. It doesn't matter whose fault it is or what led to it, all right?"

"Fine," Sam said.

"Now," Damon cleared his throat. "Helene and I will go see about making your ring. Lucy will come with us and when we get it made, we'll come back here."

"What do I do?" Sam asked.

"You sit," Damon told him. They left him alone in the living room and he stayed that way for a little while until a little girl poked her head in the room. "Hi!" She said, walking in the rest of the way. "I'm Lenora. What's _your_ name?"

"I'm Sam," Sam said. "Where'd you come from?"

"I live here," Lenora told him. "Damon babysits me sometimes. Well, actually all the time."

She sat down next to Sam and he couldn't help noticing how her blonde hair was pushed back from her neck and that she had a vein pulsing there, all her blood, pumping away. Before he even realized what he was doing, he'd grabbed her, his teeth grazing her neck, when all of a sudden, he felt the most horrible pain he'd ever felt in his life. He let her go as he fell to the floor, twitching, convulsing and screaming. Lenora watched him and then burst into tears, running for her mother.

"What's wrong?" Helene asked.

"Sam tried to _bite _me!" Lenora exclaimed. "And then I got scared cause I wanted him to let me go and when I tried to push him off me, he started screaming and fell on the floor and now he's moving all funny!"

"Oh, my god!" Helene said and she and Damon ran after Lenora, finding Sam, as she'd said, clutching his head, convulsing and screaming on the floor.

Helene got down on her knees and put her hands on Sam's body, muttering words to herself and trying to make him be still. When he was finally calm, Helene opened her eyes again. "There we go," she said, letting out her breath.

"Is he gonna be all right?" Damon asked.

"Yeah," Helene nodded. "But it will take time. He got hit with that brain pain spell that I'm sure you're familiar with, only since Lenora's energy is so unfocused and she doesn't know how to perform it properly, the pain that Sam felt was much worse than usual. It would be best to put him to bed for about a week or so and only allow him to move when he absolutely has to. He's very weak now."

Lenora's eyes were big, with tears threatening to spill out. "Mommy? Did I do a bad thing? I didn't mean to hurt him! I just wanted him to let me go!"

"It's okay," Helene said, taking Lenora in her arms. "No one will blame you for doing what you had to in order to protect yourself." But even so, Lenora looked up at Damon. "I'm sorry," she said.

Damon looked down at Lenora for a second, took her hand and kissed it. "It's all right," he said. "These things happen."

"Let's go to the bathroom and take a look in the mirror," Lucy said. "I want to see if we need to put a bandage on you."

"Good idea," Helene said. "Lucy, you go tend to Lenora and Damon, will you help me get Sam to my car? I want to take him to my parents' house. They'll put him up while he recovers and then I can finish his ring."

Damon nodded. "All right. Sounds like a plan." Helene and Damon picked up Sam, whose breathing was shallow and labored, and carried him out to her car. "If you want to come with me, you can," Helene told Damon. "There's room."

Damon nodded. "I think I will, thanks. And do you think your parents would mind if I stayed with him? It would help to have a familiar face around, I think, even if that face isn't one he particularly likes."

"Oh, I'm sure you're exaggerating," Helene said. "And if you aren't, this could get you a lot of brownie points, don't you think? I'm sure that once you explain the situation, my parents would be more than happy to have you. And should I call Selina too so she can come down and see him?"

Damon shook his head. "I don't know if that's a good idea. See, she doesn't even know he's a _vampire _yet, let alone any of the other stuff. So let's just hold off on bringing Selina into this until Sam has recovered. I'm sure Selina's got enough problems of her own to deal with without us adding onto them."

* * *

When Selina got back later that day, she put the stuff from the grocery store in the refrigerator, put Laura in her bed, and then headed to her spare bedroom, freezing when she saw the flowers and candy on her bed. She picked them up and went to Elijah's office.

"What the heck is this?" She asked him, holding up the presents.

"I just thought you'd like those," he said. "You do, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, but come on!" She said. "If you think this will make me like you again, I would have expected you to be more creative. This is the sort of thing that Nicky would do to get on my good side, and surely you're better than him."

"Well, all right," Elijah said. "I've told you I was sorry and got you your favorite roses and your favorite chocolates, and I don't know what else I can do. If you don't want them, just throw them in the trash."

"Fine," Selina said. "Maybe I will!" She strode away from the office and when she was safely in her room, she opened the box of candy and ate half of it before stashing the rest under the bed and putting the roses in a vase. They really _were_ pretty.

* * *

"Are you mad at me for what I did to Sam?" Lenora asked Lucy. "It was a accident."

Lucy nodded. "I know it was. But you don't have to feel bad, really. This is just part of Sam's learning process. This will help him learn why it's better to take human blood from blood bags instead of actual people. So, in a weird way, you actually kind of did him a favor."

"I did?" Lenora eyed her skeptically. "But I made him be hurted!"

"Sometimes that has to happen," Lucy told her. "It's called negative reinforcement. Now every time Sam thinks of drinking from a living person, he'll just remember how bad he hurt when he tried to bite you and it will make him stop. So you don't have to worry. You didn't do anything wrong." Lenora gave her a long look and after Lucy ascertained that there was nothing on Lenora that needed to be bandaged up, Lenora went and got a blood bag from the refrigerator, and a lollipop from her bedroom. "Take me to Grandma and Grandpa's, please," she said, holding them up.

* * *

"How's Sam?" Lucy asked Helene when she and Lenora arrived with the blood bag and the lollipop.

"He's awake now," she said. "But he's still very weak. Damon's been feeding him blood."

"We brought him another bag," Lenora said.

"Good," Helene said. "I'll take it in to him.

"But _I_ want to," Lenora said. "Mommy, let me!"

Helene sighed. "All right, but be careful. And take Aunt Lucy with you."

Lucy nodded and after asking Helene for directions, went to the room where Alistair and Astrid were keeping Sam. When they entered, Damon, who had dozing in a chair next to Sam's bed, sat up.

"Good, you two are here. Would you mind watching him for a few minutes? I have to run to the bathroom."

"Sure," Lucy said. "No problem."

Damon left and Lenora and Lucy came around the bed. Sam saw Lenora and his eyes widened. He opened his mouth to yell, but Lucy put a hand over it. "Don't scream," she said. "Lenora didn't come to hurt you. She came to say she's sorry. And she brought you some things, too."

Sam gave a barely perceptible nod and Lucy picked Lenora up and put her down on the bed next to him.

"We should probably sit him up as much as we can," Lucy said. She propped Sam up so that he wouldn't choke and Lenora helped him put the blood bag to his lips and as he sucked on it, she smiled. "That's a good job," she said. When the bag was empty, she pulled something out of her pocket. "Now you get this lollipop cause you drinked the blood bag," she said, handing it to him. "My teacher at kindergarten gives us presents when we do good things and that's a good thing."

"You're on your way to living the good life," Lucy said to her brother. "If you keep going on like this, telling Mom is gonna be much easier than we thought."

* * *

That night, Elijah heard a knock on his office door when he and Gregory were reading from their book. "Come in," he said.

Selina came in and plunked a cup of hot cider and a piece of pumpkin pie down in front of him. "I just made this," she said. "Tell me if it tastes good."

"You hate me and you're still feeding me?" Elijah asked in surprise. "I don't get it."

Selina shrugged. "Well, just because I'm mad at you, that doesn't mean I should withhold nourishment, or in our case, useless, delicious, sugary junk food, from you. That would just be too cruel." The pie had a dollop of whipped cream on top that came to a point. When Selina was sure Elijah was watching, she put some of the whipped cream on her finger and licked it off slowly. "Wow, that's good," she said.

"Yeah," Elijah replied, keeping his eyes on her. "I bet."

"And by the way," Selina continued, "my back is a little sore from all the lifting and stuff I did today. Would you mind coming in and getting the knots out for me?"

The room was silent for a moment as Selina left the office and then Elijah stood up. "All right, Gregory," he said. "It looks like it's time for you to go to bed."

"Pie," Gregory reminded him.

"Oh, right," Elijah nodded. "Thank you." He ate half the pie and let Gregory have the other half and then let out a yell as he drank the cider too fast and it scalded his mouth. But he got it down, put his dishes in the kitchen, put Gregory to bed and then ran to Selina's spare bedroom, slamming the door behind him and breathing hard.

"What's wrong with you?" Selina asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I'm fine." Then his eyes locked on her. She was wearing only a bra and her panties.

"Just what did you have in mind for when I got here?" He asked her.

"I told you," she said. "My back is sore and you can't really do a good job remedying that if I'm wearing a lot of clothes, can you?"

"Well, all right," he said. "I'll take what I can get." He noticed that the flowers he'd given her were in a vase by the window. "I thought they'd brighten up the room," she explained.

He grinned. "Well, they do. It was a good idea." Then he watched as she climbed onto the bed and lay herself out flat on her stomach. Tentatively, Elijah began massaging her shoulders and down her back, trying to stay calm, especially when she began making sounds that he'd only heard her make during sex. When he finally got down to her bottom, the part of her that he most wanted to touch, she said, "All right, I'm good."

"Wait, what?" He asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Selina said. "Thanks, I feel so much better now." She rolled onto her back and then sat up, her unhooked bra doing absolutely nothing to cover up her chest, which he was also looking at with longing, even though he kept telling himself not to. "You can go to bed now. Have a good night's sleep."

"How can you expect me to go to our bed alone and have a good night's sleep after what I just did?" He asked. "You really are a glutton for punishment, aren't you? You make it seem like you're angry with me, yet you think nothing of keeping the flowers I gave you, or asking me to give you a massage, but when you get what you want, you just send me away, thinking nothing of how I'm going to feel afterward!"

"Oh, it's not like you got a raw deal," Selina said. "You seemed to be having a damn good time back there _and_ I made you pie!"

"Just tell me one thing," Elijah said. "Are you mad at me anymore, or not?"

She sighed. "No, I guess I'm not. And I guess I haven't been since after I broke all the dishes and stuff. I only did all the rest of it just to make sure we don't ever have a repeat of what you did." She sighed. "I guess I'll come to bed now." She started to get off the bed and put on her bathrobe, and he said, "Oh, don't bother. I'll just go get Laura's monitor and we can spend tonight in here. That will be easier, don't you think?"


	19. Don't Kill the Messenger

The sound of the bedroom door closing woke Klaus again for the third night in a row. "Hi," Caroline said, blushing. "I thought you were asleep. I didn't want to disturb you."

Klaus sat up and nodded. "Well, fine, but since you have, where have you been? Out with Selina's mother again? And if you're gonna lie to me about your whereabouts, at least come up with something believable!"

"Oh," Caroline kept her eyes cast down. "I figured you'd probably see through that, but I hoped you wouldn't." She sighed. "I was out with Tyler again. We were just walking around and talking about old times. It was nice. I like having him back."

"And yet, all this time, you never once wondered where he came from?" Klaus asked. "Aren't you the least bit disturbed that he came back from the dead?"

"Well, I never had to question where he came from, first of all," Caroline said, climbing into the bed. "Roxie found me looking at some of my and Tyler's old pictures and I told her that you and I were kind of in a rut lately, so she said she could do something about it. Next thing you know, Tyler shows up, alive at the front door. As for the whole 'being brought back from the dead' thing, weren't we brought back from the dead too? Us vampires? Tyler's not rotting or asking for my brains or anything, so I'm not worried."

Klaus scoffed. "You might not be, but what about me? What about us? Where does this leave us?"

"You know," Caroline said thoughtfully, "I have to wonder if there ever really _was_ an 'us'. You and Selina were very attached to each other while you were together and you've never really gotten over her, in spite of the divorce, have you? You're still stuck on her. Wouldn't you feel better if you just admitted it?"

"To say I'm still stuck on her is not quite accurate," Klaus told Caroline. "I don't actually love Selina as much as you believe. We have a strong physical attachment thanks to our werewolf genes, but that's all."

"Even so," Caroline told him, "I think I deserve more than a guy who is still very capable of having sex with his ex-wife if the right circumstances come up. If Selina and I were both standing in front of you naked, begging for you to come to bed with us, you'd still pick her, wouldn't you?"

Klaus sighed. "I have to admit you're not entirely wrong about that. Very well. You go on and be with Tyler, but I can't say I'm not gonna miss you."

Caroline nodded. "In a way, I'll miss you too," she said. "I'm sorry this couldn't have worked out." She touched his cheek. "I really am." She sighed. "I'll go sleep on the sofa and tomorrow I'll start packing up my things."

Klaus nodded. "Goodnight, Caroline."

"Good night," Caroline replied when she reached the bedroom door, her hand on the knob. She gave him a long look, opened the door and left, shutting it gently behind her.

* * *

Selina knocked on Laura's bedroom door a few days later and went inside. "Honey?" She said, "I'm gonna go to the grocery store. You wanna come with me? I'll help you dress and everything."

"No need," Elijah said. "You just stay here and rest yourself. You'll need to for later."

"What's going on?" She asked, watching as Elijah pulled a pink dress over Laura's head.

"Toys!" Laura said happily, grinning at her mother.

"Toys?" Selina asked. "What about toys?"

"Niklaus and I decided it would be fun to take Laura to the toy store," Elijah answered. "Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No," Selina shook her head, her lip jutting out a little. "Of course not. The three of you have a good time. I'll just stay here with Colin and Gregory."

"What's the matter?" Elijah asked in a baby voice, coming up to Selina. "What's with the long face? Are you upset because you won't get anything? Don't worry, I'll get you a few really nice presents."

"I don't see what a toy store could do for me," Selina said. "But it's a nice thought. You just worry about having fun with Laura and I'll be okay."

"Well, all right," Elijah nodded. "But let's say that, maybe if I happened to pass by a jewelry store and see something really pretty in the window, you wouldn't hold it against me if I got it for you, would you? No, of course you wouldn't." He leaned down to put on Laura's socks and buckle her shoes and then picked her up. "Do you think Mommy should give Daddy a kiss before we go?" He asked her.

"Yay!" Laura nodded, clapping her hands.

Selina grinned and rolled her eyes as Elijah put Laura down. "All right, you," she said to him. "Come here!"

Elijah grinned and the two of them began kissing enthusiastically, but when his fingers sneaked under the waistline of jeans, she gave his hand a light slap. "None of that now," she said. "Remember, there's a kid right there!"

"Oh, come on!" Elijah said, keeping a hold on her. "She's two, what does she know?" He began kissing down her neck. Selina resisted a little at first, but then eased into it. "Yes," she nodded. "That feels nice."

Laura watched them for a bit, and then grabbed one of her dolls out of her toy box and hit Elijah on the leg with it. He yelped and let Selina go immediately. "What was that for, young lady?" He asked her. "Why did you hurt me?"

"Toys!" Laura said sternly. "We go!" She grabbed his hand and began pulling him away from Selina and toward the door. "Wait, wait, wait!" Elijah told her. "Don't you want to say goodbye to your mother first?"

Laura gave Selina a long look and then shook her head. "No," she said and resumed trying to pull Elijah toward the door.

"I guess it would be best to just go with her then, wouldn't it?" Elijah asked Selina.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I guess it would be best."

* * *

Selina was sitting on a sofa in the library reading a book when Elijah strode through the library door and snatched the book out of her hands. "Hey!" she protested. When she saw it was him, she grinned. "Hey!" she said again, more warmly this time. "You need a little, you know?" She winked.

"Well, yes," Elijah said grumpily. "Of course I do. But my father has commanded that I come work with him otherwise he's gonna come here and drag me out himself. You miss work for a few days and suddenly it's like you're a criminal."

"I'm sorry," Selina told him, coming to sit on his lap. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to go pick up Laura from Niklaus'. She wanted to stay with him after we got back from the toy store and I said I'd pick her up later, but now I can't. Your presents are there too."

"Sure," Selina nodded. "I'd be happy to go pick up Laura. If you promise to take Gregory with you when you go see your father."

Elijah grinned. "I thought you'd never ask." His phone rang and he answered it with impatience. "All right, Father. I'm coming!" He let Selina up, then he strode angrily out of the room and Selina went to get Colin ready for a trip to Klaus' so they could pick up Laura.

* * *

It took her longer than she anticipated to actually get to the front door of the house. She had to stay in the car several extra minutes to feed Colin and then be extra careful so she wouldn't wake him as she carried up him the steps to Klaus' front door.

"Selina?" Klaus asked in response to her knock. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," she said, "Elijah was busy so he asked me to come and pick up Laura. Can I come in?"

"Oh, of course," Klaus nodded. "Come in, please."

"You know," she said as she followed him inside the house, having a terrific view of the back of him. "You look really good. Have you been working out?"

"Well, yes," Klaus said without turning. "Now that I'm on the market again, I have to keep myself in top shape, don't I?"

"You and Caroline broke up?" Selina asked in surprise. "Why? What happened?"

Now, Klaus turned. "Her ex-husband came back from the dead, of all things. Caroline seemed to think that being with him was preferable to being with me when, as she said, I couldn't focus on her because I was more stuck on you, so we ended things."

"Did she honestly say you were stuck on me?" Selina asked, locking eyes with him. "Well, that's just ridiculous, isn't it?"

"Yes," Klaus replied, his voice breathy as he focused on her lips. "Absolutely bonkers."

Selina put Colin down on the floor next to the sofa. "Well, if there's anything I can do to help..." she licked her lips. "Just let me know, okay?"

Klaus' hands suddenly went around her waist and he pulled her to him. They kissed long and hard, their hands moving up and down each other's bodies.

"Wait!" Selina said. "What about Colin? I can't just leave him down here!"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said impatiently, pausing kissing down her neck. "Take him up to one of the spare bedrooms and then get down here as fast as you can. Remember, I don't like waiting."

Selina nodded and then groaned. "Believe me," she said, pulling him to her to kiss him again. "Neither do I." She then pulled away reluctantly and took Colin upstairs, before coming back down taking the steps two at a time. Her momentum kept going and she ended up in Klaus's arms, knocking him down on the living room floor. As he unbuttoned her blouse, Selina asked Klaus, "Aren't you gonna ask why I'm like this?" She had a twinkle in her eye. "Aren't you curious?"

Klaus shook his head. "No, not really. I never ask questions when it comes to you and opportunities to see that beautiful body of yours. Although, Elijah won't be too happy about this, will he?"

Selina unzipped Klaus' pants. "Does that bother you?" She asked. "It doesn't bother me." She paused, looking down. "You're a big boy, aren't you?" She grinned. "Bigger than Elijah, I think...but don't tell_ him _that. His ego's so fragile."

Klaus grinned and shook his head as his hand went under her jeans. "Don't worry, love," he said. "It will be a secret just between us."

"Get them off!" Selina said insistently, referring to her jeans. "Get 'em off!"

"Okay," Klaus said, flipping over so that she was underneath him. "But it might take a bit. They're tight, aren't they?" He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and then proceeded to peel them off of her and throw them on the sofa. "There," he said with satisfaction as he lightly ran his fingers over her lacy pink panties. "Isn't that better?"

"Or worse," Selina said breathlessly. "Depending on how you look at things. Oh, Nicky, I_ want _you! Take me right this minute!"

He kissed her fingers. "You never have been very patient, have you, darling?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. "Oh, well. I suppose I should end this torture, shouldn't I?" He whipped her panties off and pushed into her and her shriek of pleasure was so loud neither of them heard the front door open. Elijah came in and stood rooted to the spot, his jaw hanging open as he watched them. Finally, he found his voice.

"What the hell is going on here?" He yelled. The sound of his voice stopped Klaus and Selina cold. She looked at Elijah over Klaus' bare shoulder and gave him a wave. "Hi, sweetie! What are you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing here?" Elijah asked, a vein in his forehead beginning to throb. "I came here because I managed to get away from my father and when I got home, you weren't there so I came here to get you and Laura and here I find you and my brother like this! Don't you have _any_ self-control at all?"

"Nicky, get off me," Selina said. She stood up and without bothering to cover herself up, approached her husband. "Darling, if I had any self-control at all, would we have been having as much fun as we have been lately?" She asked. "Besides, it's not like I came _over_ here intending to have sex with your brother. It just happened. He told me how upset he was about his break up with Caroline and I asked if there was anything I could do to help, and then..."

"Oh, yes!" Elijah said angrily. "You're a lot of help. To everyone but me!"

"Hey!" Selina replied. "I offered but you said you had to go work with your father, so this is really your fault, if you think of it. If you'd been around so that we could've been together, then I wouldn't have come over here and done it with your brother. Do you see the logic?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Selina, you look at me. You will return to acting as you usually do in every possible way. You will get dressed and we will take the children and go home. Am I clear?"

All of a sudden, Selina blinked and then plowed her fist into Elijah's face. "Yeah," she said as she dressed. "We're clear. And here's another thing we need to be clear about: I don't appreciate being compelled into being a sex toy for you," she said. "There's no reason for it!" she zipped up her pants and put on her shoes and stared down as Elijah held onto his nose. "I don't want to hear anything else from you now," she said. "I'm going to get the kids and we are going to go home. Then we'll talk more about this, believe you me, you jackass."

As she ran up the stairs to get Laura and Colin, Klaus smirked at his brother. "Bold move compelling her," he said. "You've really got a tough set of balls, don't you?"

"Oh, shut up!" Elijah grumbled as he reached in his pocket for a handkerchief. "I blame you for this as much as I blame her. You should know better than to sleep with my wife!"

"Do we really want to have this argument again, Elijah?" Klaus asked as he dressed. "At various times, we've each taken her from the other, so we're not exactly in a position to judge each other, are we?" He paused. "You should have known better than to send her over here unsupervised after I've had a bad break up, shouldn't you have?"

"Yes," Elijah said grumpily. "I should have known better than to send her here at all. Which is why when we get home, I'm gonna lock her in a room and she won't be allowed to come out until I say so. And don't you tell her. You've fucked things up enough already."

Klaus' eyes widened. "Language, brother, _language!_" He grinned. "Just kidding. I really had no idea words like that were even capable of coming out of your mouth."

"Oh, I know many bad words," Elijah told Klaus. "But at the moment, the only ones I want to use apply to you!"

"All right!" Selina said as she came down the stairs with Colin's carrier in one hand and Laura's little hand in the other. "You go up and get Laura's toys so we can put them in the car and then we're out of here!"

Elijah frowned, but grabbed the toys anyway and threw them in the trunk of his car. The ride home was spent in awkward silence, and after putting Laura and Colin in their rooms (and ascertaining that Gregory would be okay staying with Mikael), Selina and Elijah finally got to her spare bedroom and shut the door behind them, letting all the anger out.

"I don't see what you're so mad about," Elijah said. "What did I do that was so wrong?"

"What did you do?" Selina asked. "Elijah, you _compelled_ me! You hijacked my mind for your own personal use! Don't you realize what a bad thing that is?! And to make me your sex toy of all things! Something is really wrong with you, I don't care if you say otherwise. I'm going to call Alistair so he can come and have a look at you!"

"No!" Elijah said, grabbing her arm. "You're not going anywhere, _especially_ not to see Alistair. As for what you did under compulsion, it was nothing that you wouldn't do normally. I don't see what the problem is."

"Exactly!" Selina said she was crying tears of frustration. "What I did under compulsion was nothing that I wouldn't have gladly done for you normally, which is why I don't understand why I had to be compelled for all of it to happen. Couldn't you have just _asked_ me? I would have said yes, you know."

"Well, how can I ask you to do things for me if you're never home because you're always working at that stupid bakery of yours?" Elijah asked. "What do you need a stupid job for anyway? I bet you never had one when you were with Niklaus. He probably got to have you whenever he wanted."

"Things were different when your brother and I were together," Selina said. "Back then, I only had one kid at a time. I didn't have Roxie until Adrian was a teenager, and I didn't have Lucy until Roxie was a teenager. But now, I have three kids all under the age of five who need my constant care and attention. The bakery is the only way I can have a break! And when you act normally, you're always out hunting with your father, or preparing to hunt with your father. Has it ever occurred to you that sometimes, I miss you too?"

"Well, the solution here is very obvious then," Elijah said. "You and I just need to be alone. And if I wasn't still so incensed about finding you naked with my brother, I would gladly take you to the library and not let you out of my sight for hours, but based on your recent behavior, who knows when I'll feel like doing that?" He eyed her with distaste.

"Oh, like you're such a blameless guy yourself!" Selina replied. "At this point, I wouldn't sleep with you for any reason at all! So I guess neither of us are gonna get what we want, will we?"

"No," Elijah said firmly. "I guess not. Although..." He rooted around in the dresser drawer and pulled out the pair of handcuffs he'd used on her on her birthday, looked down at them, and then shook his head. He turned and held her tight. "You will stay in here until you decide you're going to behave yourself," he said. "Because I'm not a monster, I'll bring Colin in here too, so you can take care of him, along with some of his things, but basically, this will be where you stay. How long is your choice. I'm sorry it had to come to this, darling. I really am." She started to get up and he said firmly, "Stay! Don't you move unless your reason for moving has something to do with caring for Colin."

He left and came back with Colin and Colin's things a few minutes later. He handed Colin to Selina, put his things under the bed, and then left Selina without another word.

Once he was gone, Selina tried to stand up, but literally found it impossible. She growled and sat back down until Colin let out a cry and then she found that she was able to get up, grab him and get him taken care of before her body sat her back down on the bed. She thought her not being able to get up before had been a temporary thing, but try as she might, she couldn't get up when she tried again. "You can't keep me in here!" She yelled. "This is just wrong!" The door opened and Elijah looked at her. "Well, you know what you have to do to get out, don't you? It's not that difficult." He came in, his hand reaching down to rub her knee. "Are you saying you want out?" He asked. "Are you willing to do what I want you to in order to get out? How disappointing. I honestly thought you'd put up more of a fight. He grinned, his lips against her ear. "You have no idea how much you arouse me when you're angry."

"Oh, get off and go away, would you?" yelled, giving him a shove. He landed hard on the floor, frowning deeply at her and giving her a hiss. "Am I supposed to be scared?" She asked. "Go bother someone else, would you?"

"You'll regret how harsh you're being to me," he said. "Has it occurred to you that I don't _want_ thing to be this way? I came in here hoping that your attitude had improved and I'd be able to let you out, but sadly, it doesn't look like that's the way of things. I'll be on my way now," he said, turning his back on her. Selina got out a very angry-sounding "Goodbye!" before he'd even finished his sentence. When to door closed, Selina leaned against the backrest of the chair, pondering what the easiest way to get out of here would be so that she could make contact with Alistair and he could come and fix whatever the hell was wrong with Elijah.

* * *

Elijah didn't try to come into the room again, which made it easier for Selina to think. Finally, she reached the only conclusion that made sense: she'd have to make Elijah believe she was ready and willing to apologize to him for what had happened with Klaus and prepared to make it up to him. She had no idea if he'd believe her or not, but it was the only idea she had.

"Honey?" She called. "Honey, come in here, please!"

She heard Elijah running down the hallway toward the room. He then yanked the door open and poked his head in. "What?" he asked. "What is it?"

"Oh," she said, trying to keep herself relaxed and looking happy. "I've decided I've let this silly fight go on long enough. Come here and help me out of this chair, would you?"

"Well of course," Elijah nodded. "As long as you really mean it. You're not lying to me, are you?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm really not! I am completely willing to do whatever needs to be done to make things better between us. I don't like it when we fight. How about we kiss and make up, huh?"

Elijah felt that something was suspicious, but her lips were so enticing, he thought he'd take the risk. He pulled her to her feet and kissed her, but as they were kissing, he suddenly felt the wind get knocked out of him. Selina punched him in the gut and he toppled to the floor. He lay there for a second, momentarily stunned. But that didn't last long at all and he was able to crawl toward her as she ran for the bedroom door and make a grab for her ankle. She kicked him in the face and managed to make it out the door. Breathing hard, she shut the door behind her and took off running toward her and Elijah's bedroom. Her purse with her cell phone in it was on the bed. Alistair knew her number and would surely answer right away. She managed to make it to the room first and shut the door just in time, standing against it so that Elijah couldn't get in.

"Let me in, darling," he called. His voice sounded sweet, but she knew he was angry. "You know I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk, that's all."

"Drop dead!" Selina called back.

"Enough of this!" Elijah yelled. He gave the door a hard push and it opened, sending Selina toppling to the floor. She turned, a whimper escaping her throat as Elijah advanced on her, his face angry. Selina took a deep breath and closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks, praying that when he killed her, it wouldn't be too painful. He lay a hand on her shoulder, but then, he let out a yell as he was suddenly picked up off his feet and thrown backwards into the bedroom wall, ending up in a crumpled heap on the floor. "What?" Selina asked, dazed.

"You called me, didn't you?" A voice asked. Selina looked up and saw Alistair standing over her.

"How?" Selina asked as she gave him her hand and he helped her up. "I didn't call you at all! I wasn't able to even make it to my phone! How did you get here?"

"You really needed me," he said to her. "You were yelling so loud, it was impossible not to hear. I know you think you didn't say anything, and you most likely didn't, but if a witch or warlock is needed bad enough, they can sense it telepathically. Kind of like an emergency helpline for witches."

"Oh, my god," Selina said. "So it doesn't just work in any old situation?" Selina asked.

"No," Alistair said. "You wouldn't emergency services if you wanted to order a pizza or something like that, would you?" Alistair asked. "Bad example, but you know what I mean, don't you?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I suppose I do." She hugged him. "Thank you so much," she said. "I have no idea what's wrong with him, but I know _something_ is. He's acting very strangely, doing things he never would normally. I mean, at first it was just little things: He bought jeans, walked around the house without clothes on expect for boxers, ate from people, that sort of thing. And I can't say I didn't enjoy that. Then, he suggested we have sex in his special chair. We did. It was great..."

"When did the troubling things start?" Alistair asked cutting her off.

"I don't think it's been too long," Selina said. "But he compelled me to be some sort of sexy plaything for him so that I'd stay home and stop going to the bakery. He basically made me lose all my common sense. And you _know_ what I'm like without my common sense," Selina finished.

Alistair nodded. "Well, of course," he said. "I witnessed it for several years while you and Klaus were together. You were very physical the two of you."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Today, Klaus and Elijah took Laura to the toy store and then Elijah left Laura at Klaus' to play. Then, he had to go work with his father, which left me to be the one to pick up Laura. Klaus answered the door and then told me he and Caroline had broken up. One thing led to another and the next thing you know, Klaus and I are on each other like animals and Elijah strides in and sees us. That's when he took the compulsion off and then put me in the bedroom, forbidding me to come out until I agreed to 'behave myself'. I don't think I need to tell you what that's code for. I tricked him, escaped, he got mad, and here you are."

Before Alistair could say anything, they heard a groan as Elijah got up from the floor. "I don't feel so well," he said. His face was covered in blood and so was the carpet.

"Well, let's get you cleaned up and then we'll talk about why that is," Alistair said, hustling Elijah off to the bathroom. Elijah got cleaned off and when Alistair brought him back, he said, "Elijah, do you know why I'm here?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "But it's probably Selina's fault. I told her I didn't want you here."

"It's good she called me anyway, though," Alistair replied. "Do you know why she wants me here? She's very concerned about how you've been acting lately. She feels you've changed for the worse. Do you have any idea why that might be?"

Elijah sat in angry silence for a moment and then he said, "I did it for _her_! She's always telling me that I'm not exciting enough, and I thought, 'Maybe she's right,' so I went to see that granddaughter of yours and she said she could make me fun. She did a little magic and there was this whooshing sound and then I was fun."

"You let an eight-year-old witch put a spell on you?" Alistair asked in shock. "No wonder you ended up like this!" He looked at Selina. "We have to go to Lucy's. That's where Lenora is and she's the only one who can undo the spell. Grab Colin and let's go."

* * *

"What's going on, you guys?" Lucy asked when she opened the door. They all went inside and Alistair said, "Is Lenora around? We have to speak with her. It's a matter of some urgency."

"She's not here," Lucy told him. "I've been having some trouble with my love life lately and as a result, I had Lenora do a time spell for me. I had her send Damon Salvatore the vampire back to 1863 while Damon Salvatore the human stayed in this time. Then, Lenora volunteered to go back in time to 1863 and check up on vampire Damon for me, so that's why she's not here. What's the problem? Is it something I can fix?"

"No," Alistair said. "It has to be Lenora. We need her to remove a spell. But I guess it will have to wait. We don't have any other choice, do we?"


	20. Kissing a Fool

After waiting an hour or so, Elijah finally decided to go see if Selina was any better. He went to her spare room and stood to listen, making sure she wasn't crying anymore before he knocked. "Darling?" He asked her. "How are you? May I come in?"

"Sure," she sniffled. "Why not? Come in. I have something I want to talk to you about, anyway."

"All right," Elijah said. He opened the door, went inside and found her laid out on the bed, her hair and face wet. He sat down next to her, pulled her up, and cradled her close to him, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

She sniffled and he helped her sit up on her own before she looked him right in the eye without blinking. "I'm about to tell you something and you won't like it, but I feel like I need to say it anyway. As you can tell, the news about Sam hit me hard, and well, I just don't think I'm up to having any more kids because of what happened to him. I just can't do it. I'm sorry."

"What?" Elijah asked. "You can't possibly mean that. When people are grieving, when people are overwrought, they say all sorts of things that they don't mean. This is one of those times, right? You're saying this now, but your mind will change once you feel better."

Selina shook her head. "No, I'm sorry Elijah. It won't. Now, I'd like to be alone. Would you just go away? Please?"

Not knowing what to say, Elijah stood up and slowly backed away from the bed. "All right," he said. "I think I'm going to need to go out for awhile. Will you be all right here with the children by yourself?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I'll be fine. You go. Do what you need to do."

Elijah nodded. "All right," he said. "If you're certain." He watched her for a long moment, then left and shut the bedroom door behind him.

* * *

"Why the long face?" Klaus asked. "Not that it's much different from the usual, but...did Selina cut you off again?"

"In a way, yes," Elijah nodded. "Let me in, would you?"

"Since you asked so nicely," Klaus answered, "come right in."

Elijah stepped inside, took off his coat, and then went to sit down on the sofa.

"So," Klaus asked, "What did you do now? You can tell me. I'm all ears."

"I didn't do anything," Elijah said through his teeth. "Selina's just going through a bad time. She found out a few hours ago that Sam is now a vampire and she's taking it badly. I, for one, do not understand what all the fuss is. Now he's no different than all her other children. Well, except for Joshua, but he's another matter entirely."

"Well, how bad is it?" Klaus asked. "Has she tried to kill herself?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "She told me that she doesn't feel up to having any more children because of this. It shattered her that badly. And she says she won't feel up to changing her mind even after she's had time to think things over. I don't know, Niklaus. I just don't know what to do."

"My advice," Klaus told him, putting a hand on his shoulder, "my advice with any problem is to start drinking, heavily. Come to Enid's with me. I was going to go anyway."

"You don't mean that dive place where all the werewolves go?" Elijah asked. "I don't know if I want to go there."

"Well, all right," Klaus shrugged. "If you want to stay here, that's your choice." He left and then stood outside the house door, counting to five. By the time he reached three, he heard the door open. "Never mind, Niklaus," Elijah said. "I'll come with you. Let's go."

* * *

They drank for a while and after Klaus dropped Elijah off at home, Elijah stumbled into the house and did the best he could to keep his balance until he reached Selina's spare bedroom. He oped the door with a bang. "Hello, darling!" He said, his voice slurring a bit. "I'm home!"

Selina looked up, tears still in her eyes. "Go away," she said. "I know you have some sort of problem with the idea that I don't want to have kids anymore, but maybe, if you just leave me alone, I might get over it. Got me?"

Elijah glared at her for a moment, then stumbled forward, almost falling into her lap. "Now, now," he said. "I won't have any more of that. You're far too old to be throwing a temper tantrum like a child. And for the record, _I _will decide when we've had enough children, not you."

"Gee, you think it would be my decision too, seeing as how it's me that has to go through all the pain and misery for nine months," Selina said.

"You had your chance to make a decision about this," he said. "But the second you chose to stop having children, I had no other choice but to make the _right_ decision for both of us, and since you are my wife, you will not argue with me." He walked up to her and pulled her to him. "Understood?

"Now just a minute!" Selina said. "If you ask me, the one throwing the temper tantrum is you and have you been drinking? How the hell did that happen? Nicky take you out to Enid's again?"

She was cut off as he kissed her and lowered her back onto the bed. "Stop talking!" He commanded. "Talking will not get us anywhere."

"You didn't answer my question," Selina said, looking into his eyes. "How the hell did that happen? Nicky take you out to Enid's again?"

Elijah nodded. "As a matter of fact, he did. We had a _wonderful _time. Now you and I are gonna have a great time."

Selina sighed. "Fine," she said. "I know you won't go away until I humor you, but after we're done, you're going to go to our room, sleep this off, and when you wake up feeling all hungover, let me know, all right? Cause clearly, you cannot function without me taking care of you. Nobody can. That much is obvious."

"Now that we've covered all that," Elijah told her. "Let's get to it, then." He slipped off her clothes and took off his, and then they made love until they were both tired and fell asleep.

* * *

Selina was woken up rather abruptly the next morning by Elijah's groaning. "My head hurts," he complained. "Do something to fix it, would you, dear?"

Selina rolled her eyes and grabbed her bathrobe. She could hear Laura's crying, even through the closed bedroom door. "Get in line and wait your turn," she said. "I have to tend to Laura. You know that."

"I'm aware of that," Elijah said huffily. "But I'm beginning to wonder if you're not just using her as an excuse to forget about me."

Selina gave him a look. "_You_ are a grown man, _she _is an infant," she reminded him. "Deal with it."

She left the room and went to see Laura. "It's all right," she said. "I'm here. You can stop crying now."

Laura looked up at her expectantly. Selina picked her up and started to feed her, but was interrupted when the door opened, "Mama, I'm _hungry,"_ Gregory announced.

"Gregory, what have mommy and daddy told you about knocking on doors before you come in a room?"

"Hungry!" Gregory repeated, opening his mouth and pointing inside it.

"Just wait a minute!" Selina said to him. "Go bother your dad, would you?"

Gregory eyed her reproachfully for a few seconds and then strode out of the room.

"My god," Selina muttered to herself. "He gets more like Elijah every day and not always in the good ways." She finished feeding Laura, gave her a bath, got her dressed and then took her out to the living room to put her in her swing. As they were playing, she heard a noise. She turned and saw Elijah and Gregory looking at her, identical expressions of disappointment.

"Hungry, Mama," Gregory said.

"You forgot about me," Elijah added.

Selina scoffed. "Why do _I _have to do everything around here? Why can't _you_ take care of Gregory?" She asked Elijah. "Getting him blood is not that difficult."

"My head hurts," Elijah reminded her. "Will you do something about that?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. "You sit with Laura and I will get you fixed up."

"And me," Gregory said.

"Don't worry, I won't forget about you," Selina told him. But he followed her into the kitchen anyway and watched her make up the hangover cure for Elijah.

"What that?" He asked.

"It's medicine for your daddy," Selina explained. "I don't want you touching it. Go out to the living room and sit with him, okay?"

Gregory toddled off to the living room and Selina finished making up Elijah's hangover cure, then she got out a blood bag and poured some of it into a glass. She then put Elijah's cure in one hand and Gregory's blood in the other and made her way to them.

"All right," she said to the men of her life who were sitting on the sofa. "Here you are. A hangover cure for you," she offered it to Elijah and he took it from her. "And blood for you." She sat down on the sofa and took Gregory in her lap, helping him get a good grip on the cup. When he was done, he grinned at her. "All gone," he said. "Thank you, Mama."

"Well, you're welcome," Selina told him. Then she let him off her lap and he ran off in the direction of his room. Once he was gone, she looked at Elijah. "How are you feeling?" She asked. "Any better?"

Elijah nodded. "I'm getting better, thank you. Remind me to never allow Niklaus to take me drinking again. It's not good for me."

"Well, all right," Selina said. "But I really shouldn't have to remind you. It should be obvious."

"True," Elijah agreed. "So, what do you plan to do with yourself today?"

"I think it's about time I went and saw Sam," Selina told him. "I've put it off long enough."

"So you're going by yourself?" Elijah asked. "That's very brave of you."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I couldn't go by myself. I'm gonna stop by Damon's and the two of us are gonna go together."

She saw Elijah's face darken for a moment before returning back to normal. He went and pushed Laura back and forth on her swing, not meeting Selina's eyes. "What?" Selina asked. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Elijah said. "Nothing is the matter." He took Laura out of her swing and began cuddling with her.

"If nothing is the matter, how come you won't meet my eyes?" Selina asked. "Is this about Damon? Are you upset that I'm going somewhere with him?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "As a matter of fact, I am! He is your ex-husband, Selina! And given your habit of clinging to someone else instead of the person you're in a relationship with when things go wrong, you can't blame me for saying something."

"What would make you so worried about that now?" Selina asked. "Don't you trust me?"

"I want to," Elijah said. "Really, I do. But think about us, Selina. You and I did that to Niklaus. Twice. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Selina sighed. "I get it. Once a cheater, always a cheater. But those are your thoughts, not my actions. No matter what you think, I _love_ you and Laura and Gregory, and I would never do anything to hurt you."

"I would believe that if you were open to letting me come along and chaperone," Elijah said to her. "Would you be willing?"

"No!" Selina asked. "For god's sake, Elijah! This is something I need to do with a person who understands what I'm going through and why I'm going through it. Damon is that person, not you. I'm sorry if you feel insecure, but I'm going to do this without you whether you like it or not, and I will do it with a clean conscience. Now if you all will excuse me, I need to go get cleaned up and dressed for the day."

* * *

Damon heard a knock on the door and went to answer it, starting when he saw who was on the other side. "Selina!" He said. "What's up?"

"I think you know," Selina said. "Can I come in? "

"Sure," Damon nodded. "Come in." He gestured for her to come in and she came in and took off her coat. "Don't worry," she said. "Even though I've been having a bad time since Sam turned, I didn't come here to ask you for anything that would involve the removal of clothing, not that that will stop Elijah from thinking that's what happened when I was over here." She rolled her eyes.

"So why _did_ you come?" Damon asked.

"I think I'm finally ready to go see Sam," Selina said. "And since you're the only one who truly understands why what happened to him is a problem for me, I thought it would be best to go with you. Is that all right?"

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "Sure. Can I get you a coffee or something before we go?"

"Sure," Selina said. "That would be nice."

He came back with her drink a few minutes later and they sat down on opposite sofas, facing each other. "You really are freaked out about seeing Sam, aren't you?" Damon asked as he watched her hands shake while clutching her cup.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I know it's stupid. I know that Sam's still in there and that it shouldn't matter what species he is, but ever since I got involved with Klaus and Elijah, I feel like a part of me has disappeared, you know? The human part. The part that you know about. And I can't be with you anymore, and Joshua's dead, so that left human Sam as the one connection I had to you and to my humanity that wouldn't get me in trouble. And of course Elijah doesn't get that. He's the sweetest guy in the world, and he's been really good for me, but when it comes to why I'm upset about Sam 'being like all my other kids' he just doesn't get it."

"Well, how about you and I go see Sam and we'll talk to him and see how you feel after that?" Damon asked. "But before we do, let me just say that you are one of the most human vampires I've ever met. You're still afraid of heights, bugs and storms and if someone broke into your house in the middle of the night, what would your first impulse be? To use your powers on them? To bite them?"

"No!" Selina said. "To beat the crap out of them with a bat!"

"Exactly!" Damon grinned. "So I don't think you have anything to worry about when it comes to losing your humanity. It's still very much in there."

"Really?" Selina asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "And remember, with Lucy on her 'I wanna be human' kick, you're gonna have another human kid very soon, if only temporarily."

"That's true," Selina nodded. "That's really true." She paused. "I feel like we should hug now, but I don't think that would be appropriate."

"Why not?" Damon asked. "Would it make Elijah worry?" He pulled her to him and they hugged. "Well look at us," he said. "We're hugging. We should probably call a minister and get married right this minute." He grinned.

Selina tried not to giggle, but failed. "Stop that now," she said. "Be nice."

Damon let her go. "I'm always nice. Now, are you ready to go see Sam?"

Selina took a deep breath and stood up, gulping down her coffee and putting the cup back on the table. "I'm ready."

* * *

Elijah put Laura and Gregory in their rooms and tried to do what he could to distract himself from thinking of all the things that Selina and Damon had probably done to each other by now. He grabbed the TV remote and began flipping through the channels, stopping at a movie where the characters were having a particularly steamy sexual encounter. Clinging to each other and kissing furiously, they launched themselves through the bedroom door and slammed it behind them, and then proceeded to rip off each other's clothes and make furious love on the bed. Elijah didn't normally watch programs like this, but now, what was on the screen held him in its grip as he imagined Damon and Selina doing the same thing...

"Oh, Roland, you're so handsome, and I love you so much, but my husband must never find out about us!"

_"Oh, Damon, I love you so much! To hell with Elijah. Let's go run off and get married right now!"_

Roland picked up his female companion and carried her over to the bed, kissing down her neck.

_He knew that Damon was now picking up a naked Selina and carrying her over to his bed, his eyes roaming over her, flawless, porcelain body, his lips caressing her skin, as she cried out, "Oh, Damon, you beast! You are a wonder! Do it again, do it again!" _It was more than he could stand. Finally, he put a pillow against his face and let out a yell so he wouldn't wake up the children and chucked the remote at the television.

"My god," Klaus said. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Niklaus," Elijah said, slowly lowering the pillow from his face and throwing it on the floor. "When did you get here?"

"Just in time to watch you try and suffocate yourself with that pillow," Klaus said. "I used my key." He looked at the TV screen, where the sexy movie still played on. "And smart move, too. If I were watching this, I'd want to suffocate myself as well. Are you telling me that you didn't hear me come in?"

"No," Elijah said. He was beginning to feel a little foolish. "You'll have to excuse me. My mind was occupied elsewhere."

"And where would that be?" Klaus asked. "A little place called Selina Town?"

"I _was_ thinking about her," Elijah agreed. His lip twisted into a grimace. "And how she's presently out with Damon without a chaperone. Who knows what they could be up to!"

"Why would Selina want to be out with Damon Salvatore?" Klaus asked.

"Well, their son Sam, you know, Lucy's human twin brother, he became a vampire recently and Selina's been having a difficult time dealing with it," Elijah said. "She wanted Damon to be with her when she saw vampire Sam for the first time. For some reason, she is of the opinion that I am of no help whatsoever of getting her through this crisis! She feels that Damon is the only one who can give her aid. Can you believe that?!"

"Well, when you heard that Sam had been turned, what did you say?" Klaus asked.

Elijah shrugged. "Nothing horrible. I simply commented that I don't see what all the fuss is, since now Sam is no different from any of her other children, and apparently that offended her."

"Well, of course it did!" Klaus said. "She thinks of Sam as her last connection to her human life. Now, while I personally do not find it healthy to cling to that once you've been turned and feel she was a lot more fun when she didn't care a whit about humans, I can see how, knowing her life history as I do, Sam's transformation would be painful for her. And why pointing out that Sam being no different than her other kids would be a problem. So, what are you worried about now? Do you honestly believe she's cheating on you with Damon?"

"Of course she is!" Elijah said to him. "What else would the two of them be doing, Niklaus?"

* * *

Sam heard the knock on his bedroom door and put down the book he was reading on his desk. The week of recovery had passed and he was now strong enough to move around his room."Come in!" He said.

Helene opened the door and came into the room. "Your father is here," she said. "And he brought your mother with him. Are you ready to see her?"

Sam nodded and stood up. "I've been ready ever since this happened!" He shot out of the room and ran to the entryway, where Damon was helping Selina with her coat. "Mom," Sam said. "Hi."

Selina turned around and gasped. They stared at each other for a few minutes and then ran into each other's arms, each trying not to cry. "Are you all right?" Selina asked as she finally let him go. "How did this happen? You didn't find a vampire and ask them to transform you, did you?"

Sam shook his head. "I didn't, I swear. Even though I would have liked that, I know how important me being human was to you."

Selina nodded. "It was, but what's happened has happened and there's really nothing we can do to change you back." A light suddenly came in her eyes. "Unless we went and found a werewolf, and..."

"No." Damon cut her off. "No, Selina. We're not gonna have him get bitten by a werewolf just so he'll be human again. He respected your wish to be human as long as he was even though he preferred something else, and now you need to respect his wanting to be a vampire. Especially since he's adapted so well."

Selina nodded, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "He's right, Sammy. I'm sorry. If you want to be a vampire, and you're managing it well, I should support you." She hugged him. "Sorry it took me so long to come and see you, but finding out what you were, well, it was a shock for me."

"I bet it was," Sam told her. "It was a shock for me too, at first. I woke up one morning and my leg was on fire because I had been sleeping on a window seat connected to a window that was open to let the sun in, and of course I didn't have a ring, so..."

"Do you have one now?" Selina asked. "_Please_ tell me you have one now."

"Yeah," Sam showed her his hand with his ring that was nearly identical to the ones Stefan and Damon wore. "Helene made it up for me. Joshua and I, we found it with some of Grandpa's old stuff."

"Well, that's good," Selina told him. "It's nice to see you adapting so well. What about the band? How's the band doing?"

Sam held out a CD. "We cut a single," he said. "It's selling moderately well in Europe, but we're not really famous yet."

Selina took it. "Wonderful!" she said. "I'll have to give it a listen." She looked at both Damon and Sam. "And what about Lucy? How is she?"

"She got back to France all right," Damon said. "I put her on a plane yesterday to send her back and she called me once she got back to her apartment."

"I probably don't have to tell you this," Selina said to him. "But I'm so glad she only has a month or two left over there. I mean, I know the trouble _I_ got into in Paris and I worry. I can't help myself."

Damon nodded. "Believe me, you are not the only one who worries about her."

"Okay!" Sam said, his hands up. "Conversation has shifted to Dad talking about Lucy and that means I'm out of here!" He hugged Selina again. "Thanks for coming, Mom. I've missed you."

"Well, you're welcome," Selina said. "I've missed you too. If you ever need help with anything, don't hesitate to give me a call. You know my number." He nodded and went back to his room and Selina turned back to Damon.

"I should probably go home," she said. "Elijah's probably had himself a stroke from worrying about all the salacious stuff he thinks you and I are up to. It would be kind of me to alleviate those fears by going home, but thanks for taking me. It was a big help. It made this a lot easier."

"You're welcome," Damon nodded. "Do you want to drive, or should I?"

* * *

"Well, well, well," Elijah said when Selina opened the door. "Look who it is. The harlot. Did you have a good time while you were out?"

"What are you talking about?" Selina asked. "I went with Damon to visit Sam, and that's all. Nothing happened between us." She turned and noticed Klaus on the sofa. "What are you doing here? Did you tell him to start worrying about me and Damon?"

"No," Klaus said. "He did it all on his own. I showed up here and he was watching a sexy movie with a pillow against his face."

Selina frowned at Elijah. "I can't believe you would think I'd do something like that to you! What reason would I possibly have?"

"Oh, I don't know," Elijah said. "Maybe the fact that you don't think I'm capable of helping you through your Sam crisis because I wasn't there."

"Well, I'm over that now," Selina said, backing away. "Seeing him wasn't as hard as I thought and it really helped."

"Seeing Sam helped?" Elijah asked. "Or seeing _Damon_ helped? Tell me, how long did he wait before he asked you to come to his bed?"

"We didn't go anywhere near his bedroom!" Selina said. "We just stayed in the living room and had coffee."

"What colorful euphemism," Elijah said, backing her up against the wall where she hit her head. "I wonder what it means?"

Selina winced when her head hit the wall and the pain suddenly cleared her mind. "You know what?" She said to him. "Screw you. I'm telling you the absolute truth about what happened between me and Damon, but for some reason, you don't want to believe me. I don't have to put up with this anymore." She strode over to Klaus, threw him against the wall and kissed him deeply as Elijah watched. When she pulled away, she said, "How was that, Nicky?"

Klaus grinned. "Brings back a lot of memories, doesn't it, love?"

"You want to bring back more memories?" Selina whispered in his ear. "I have a spare bedroom. Meet me in there in five minutes. Bonus points if you aren't wearing anything when I open the door." She grinned.

Elijah let out a growl. "One more word from you and I'm leaving. And I'm taking Gregory with me. You'll keep Laura for obvious reasons."

"You mean that?" Selina asked him. "Goodbye, then!" She grabbed Klaus' hand and led him out of the living room, leaving Elijah alone. A short while later, he heard the sound of their furious and enthusiastic lovemaking. He got Gregory and a suitcase full of his things, wiped away all Gregory's memories of his mother, and then the two of them left Selina behind, possibly for good.


	21. Cold Hard Truth

Selina went into her bedroom and decided that she needed to change her clothes. The ones she was wearing were a bit rumpled. She opened her suitcase, took out an outfit, her hairbrush, and a CD, the soundtrack to "Dirty Dancing." She put the CD in the player and turned it to "You Don't Own Me," stripping off her clothes during the opening notes, and when the words started, she grabbed her hairbrush and began singing into it, dancing around the room in her panties and bra.

"I'm young and I love to be young, I'm free and I love to be free, to live my life the way I want, to say and do whatever I please!"

As she was singing, she noticed that her door was open a bit and Klaus was standing there watching her, his arms crossed and a grin on his face. "Well, this is certainly liberating for you, isn't it?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, it is. Catch me!" She tossed the hairbrush on the floor and as the song ended, he caught her and they began kissing furiously, pausing only so he could pick her up and carry her to the bed, where she tore off her bra and eased off her panties and then unzipped him as he kissed down her neck. Yes, she thought to herself. She had done the right thing. She definitely had.

* * *

"Thank you so much, Alistair," Elijah told him when he and Gregory arrived at Alistair's. "It's incredibly kind of you to take us in like this."

"Of course," Alistair said as he waved them inside. "I wouldn't have it any other way. And to tell you the truth, I'm incredibly concerned. After you've gotten settled in, please come and tell me again what in the world is going on with you and Selina."

"Gladly," Elijah nodded. "Meet you in the library in oh, an hour, let's say?"

Alistair nodded. "I will be waiting for you."

Elijah nodded and went to unpack his and Gregory's things, and then went to the library.

"All right," Alistair said. "Let's begin at the beginning. Tell me how this happened."

"Well, as you may or may not know," Elijah began, "Selina's son Sam recently became a vampire. She always thought he'd be her one human child that's living and his transformation has really disturbed her."

"She seemed fine after she and Sam talked today," Alistair told him. "Sam is staying here until he adjusts and Helene and Astrid, along with Adrian, are helping him with that."

"You mean he's _here_?" Elijah asked, looking a little thunderstruck. "Here in this house right now?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "He is here in this house right now. I could take you to see him if you don't believe me."

"And Selina and Damon _were _actually here?" Elijah continued. "Did you see them for very long? At any time were their hands places on each other where they shouldn't be?"

"Well, no!" Alistair said. "From what I saw, they were focused on Sam, not each other. Is that what you thought? That Selina and Damon were using Sam's condition as an excuse for a rendez-vous?" He looked surprised.

"Well, can you blame me for thinking that?" Elijah asked. "I mean, think of her past behavior with men! She's not exactly the most stable woman in the world, is she?!" He got up and began pacing.

"Yet she must have _some_ qualities you admire somewhere," Alistair said. "As she is currently your wife and the mother of your two children."

"If this behavior of hers continues, she won't be my wife for much longer," Elijah said. "Now, if I may continue about what happened between us?"

"Oh, yes," Alistair said. "Please do. Tell me about what happened after Selina arrived at home."

"Well, to put it quite simply," Elijah said, "since I thought she and Damon were having some sort of affair, I confronted her about that, she proclaimed her innocence, and then when I wasn't quite convinced, instead of telling me about Sam and why his transformation was such a problem, as she ought to have, she proceeded to just give up and began kissing Niklaus right in front of me!"

Alistair winced and sucked in a breath. "Oh, tell me she didn't! She was handling it so much better and then she went and did that." He sighed.

"I _know_!" Elijah said. "Of all the foolish, idiotic things she could have done..."

"You know, I'm not automatically condoning your behavior either," Alistair said. "You bear some responsibility in this. Not a lot, but some."

"What?" Elijah asked, standing up quickly. "What have _I_ done?"

"Well, let's see," Alistair said. "You let your imagination run away with you and accused a woman who clearly loves you with all her heart of having an affair with a man who is already in a relationship. With her own daughter, no less. She told you the truth about what happened between her and Damon and you chose not to believe her. You could have done that, you know. Given her the benefit of the doubt just this once, especially since you know now that she wasn't lying at all. I know it's not really in your nature to do something like that, but if you want your relationship with Selina to work, you can't just keep on being the same man you are. You have to bend a little, just like I know she has."

"She has not!" Elijah said. "She's still the same foolish woman she always was!"

"You say that now because you're angry," Alistair told him. "If you were in a more pleasant frame of mind, you'd have a completely different view. I know it."

"I don't know why you're so invested in this, anyway," Elijah said. "I thought Selina and I being together was horrifying to you."

"I never said that," Alistair said. "I can't deny that I was surprised when I found out, but I _never_ said it was horrifying to me. You're putting words in my mouth. Anyway, as I was saying, you have to change ever so slightly, as Selina has, if you hope to have a long-lasting relationship with her."

"Why?" Elijah asked.

"What do you mean 'Why'?" Alistair asked, looking amazed. "You don't know much about her human life, do you?"

"Well, no," Elijah said. "But I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"It has a lot if not everything to do with it!" Alistair told him. "I can see now why she took Damon and not you to see Sam. Because she was right. You don't seem to understand her point of view at all."

Elijah growled. "People keep saying that, yet no one is making an effort to enlighten me! Would you do that? _Please_?" He sat down in a huff.

"Well," Alistair began, "She didn't have good examples of relationships as a human. Frankly, I'm surprised the two of you have done as well as you have. At her birth, her parents were much in love and very happily married. But when she was two months old, her father went off to war and never came back. Her mother then married a very controlling and abusive man named Robert Pierce. He physically abused Selina on a daily basis once she'd gotten a few years on her. And her mother as well, to the point where her mother attempted suicide more than once. Selina watched all of that. When she was fourteen, her mother took her to a party thrown by a family friend where she was forced to listen to the well-bred young men of the town discuss how, since she was one of the richest girls around, they would love to marry her, take charge of her fortune, and then send her away to live with their overbearing mothers so they wouldn't have to think about her as anything more than a source of income and the vessel for the male heirs that would carry on their family names, rather than a human being with thoughts and feelings, as she deserved."

Elijah shut his eyes. After hearing all this, he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of shame.

"Are you okay?" Alistair asked him. "Can I get you anything?"

Elijah shook his head. "Oh, no. You don't need to bother. I think I just need to go and lie down, maybe rethink this whole thing."

"What do you mean?" Alistair asked him.

"Well, what you've told me is very distressing," Elijah said. "I had no idea about any of this, and if you think about it, in a very small way, I'm not much different from those other men Selina encountered in her childhood. Maybe it would be best if I didn't try to go back to her. Because I know the sort of person I am, and that I can't change that. So although I love Selina very much, for her sake, I should probably just leave her be. Even though that means I will have to spend the rest of my life without the woman I love, my only option for companionship being to spend evenings with women I don't even care about." He sighed sadly.

"Oh, come now!" Alistair said, coming up behind him. "Don't you think you're being a little overdramatic?"

"No!" Elijah shook his head. "Alistair, what kind of a person would I be if I subjected Selina, the woman I love, to a life that would bring back painful reminders of her terrible childhood? Tell me that!"

"If you did all that to her," Alistair said, "if living with you was that much of a nightmare for you, she would have had the sense to end things with you a long time ago, but she hasn't. She didn't even think of it. Well, until you went and accused her of being unfaithful when that was not the case. The difference between the men of her childhood and you is that you genuinely love her, don't you?"

Elijah nodded. "Yes, I do. It wouldn't have hurt so much to watch her be with Niklaus if I didn't."

"Well, there you go!" Alistair said. "You love her. "So you shouldn't be giving up! You should be trying to get her back to you! Tell me you'll do that."

Elijah nodded. "I will. When I'm ready. But who knows when that will be."

* * *

Roxie woke up the next morning and dressed, then she went to see her father about watching Addie because she was planning to go out. But when she got to his closed door, she heard upbeat salsa music coming from the other side. She knocked a couple of times, opened it and gasped. Her mother was standing in front of the full length mirror in her father's bedroom in gray sweatpants and a white tank top, brushing her hair.

"Hey!" Roxie yelled. "Would you mind turning down the music just a bit?"

Selina's eyes found Roxie and lit up. She turned the radio off and ran toward Roxie, hugging her. "Mornin' Rox!" She said brightly. "What's up?"

"Are you okay?" Roxie asked when she let go. "You've hardly ever called me anything other than Roxanne ever since I was born. And most importantly, what are you doing here? And in your pajamas?"

"Your father and I have decided to get back together for the time being," Selina said. "Do you have a problem with that?" She went to the dresser and grabbed a hairband off it, tying back her dark hair.

Roxie felt lightness spread throughout her body. "No, of course not!" She said. "You two getting back together is all I've wanted since the two of you split up! But what about Uncle Elijah?"

Selina's face darkened. "Oh, him. He thinks I'm a cheating slut, so he'll just have to do without me for awhile. Not that he's gonna care or anything."

"Ouch!" Roxie sucked in her breath and sat down on the bed. "How did that happen? Why does he think you're a cheating slut?"

"Well, Damon and I went to see Sam earlier. It was the first time I'd seen him since he became a vampire because it took me such a long time to come to grips with that fact. I thought it would be easier for me to handle if I went with Damon rather than by myself, but your uncle said that that was not allowed unless he chaperoned us! Can you believe that? Of all the idiotic things to say! I nixed that, told him I'd do whatever the hell I wanted and went with Damon anyway. When I got back, your uncle called me a slut, or 'harlot' I believe his word was, and accused me of having an affair with Damon and then using the 'excuse' about Sam as a way to cover it up. I told him that I wouldn't put up with that, stuck my tongue in your dad's mouth while your uncle was looking, and here I am."

"Wow!" Roxie said, trying not to laugh and failing. "I bet Uncle Elijah's really pissed at you."

Selina shrugged. "So what if he is? He can't talk to me like that. _Especially_ if I'm telling the truth." She sighed. "I knew this would happen eventually. I get into a relationship with a guy that I like, I put my heart and soul into it, I think the guy loves me too, and then..." She made the thumbs down sign and blew a raspberry. "I guess I'm not meant to be in a normal relationship with a decent, stable guy, and that the best I'll ever do is frequent, empty sex with no emotional attachment whatsoever." She and gazed at her sad reflection and then turned back to Roxie. "You are incredibly fortunate to have a man like Vince in your life who knows all your faults and loves you in spite of them. I wish I did."

"Hey!" Roxie said. "Dad likes you. I mean, yeah you're relationship's a bit on the freaky side sometimes, but that doesn't mean he doesn't like you."

"Who doesn't like whom?" Klaus asked, poking his head in the door.

"Oh, Mom thinks you don't like her," Roxie told him.

"I never said that!" Selina said. "She's putting words in my mouth."

"Well then, what did you mean to say?" Klaus asked. "If not that?"

"What I meant to say was that I think I made a mistake," Selina said. "You, me, all of this, it was a mistake. It was just an impulsive thing that I did because your brother hurt my feelings and I wanted to get him back. I used you to do that, Nicky, and I'm sorry."

"What do you mean it was a mistake?" Klaus asked. "No, it wasn't!"

Selina nodded insistently. "Yes, it was! You and I, we have our fun, but it never leads to anything substantial. Not anymore. And I_ need _substantial. I know that. And I also know that I've really fucked things up with the one guy who could give me that."

"So let me get this straight," Klaus said. "You as good as seduced me last night, making me risk everything I have with Caroline, just because you wanted to upset my brother. Not because you actually wanted us to be together again."

"Exactly," Selina nodded. "I'm sorry, Nicky. Go ahead. Get mad. Pull out my heart. Rip off my head. Do whatever you want. I deserve it."

Roxie decided it was time to slowly ease out of the room. She grabbed Addie and her things and headed over to Vince's. Neither of her parents noticed, however.

"If it were anyone else doing this to me, I would do that," Klaus said. "But I know you too well. I know you're as messed up as I am because your mother was as bad as Mikael and-"

"Sorry to interrupt you," Selina said. "But did you know they're dating now? My mom and Mikael?"

Klaus' eyes widened. "No, really?"

Selina nodded. "Yep! I have a feeling Christmas is just gonna be lovely this year." She rolled her eyes. Then she looked back at him. "Now, what were you saying before I interrupted you?"

Klaus sighed. "I was saying that we're both a little crazy because the people who raised us were horrible. And when we're together, we can forget about that for awhile, but then, after that ends, we're still in the same place. Nothing's changed. You know?"

Selina nodded. "Yeah, I know. That's why I was happy when I found Elijah and you found Caroline because admit it. They are both a hell of a lot more sensible than the two of us. We need them to keep us from going crazy and being destructive, don't we?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes, we do. Even though I don't like admitting it, I know you're right. But just because I'm with Caroline, (and thank god she was away for the night, or there would have been trouble) and you're with Elijah (or you will be once the two of you sort things out again), that doesn't mean we can't still care about each other, right?"

"Of course we can still care about each other!" Selina said. "Who else would I talk to when your brother is just getting way too serious and I need a break? But in the future, I suggest we keep our clothes on at all times when we see each other. It would just be better that way."

"I know," he said, his eyes sweeping her body longingly. "It would be, but at the same time, still a shame. Elijah is a lucky man."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "It's shame he can't take his head out of his butt long enough to figure that out." She sighed. "Can I still stay here if I take another room?" She asked. "I obviously can't go back home and I have a feeling that once word gets out about what I've done, there will be quite a few 'friends' of mine who won't like me anymore."

Klaus sighed. "All right," he said. "If you take another room. But we probably shouldn't even do _that_ arrangement for too long."

"Yeah, right," Selina said. "Thank you, Nicky."

Klaus nodded. "You're welcome, love."

Selina nodded and went to the room where she'd put Laura and took care of her, than she and Klaus moved her into another room. They finished just in time for Caroline to call out "I'm back! Anybody home?!"

"I am," Klaus called. Caroline came into the room and smiled when she saw Selina. "I had no idea you were gonna be here. This is a pleasant surprise."

"Well, not really," Selina said. "Although I'm glad to see you too. Elijah and I have been having problems and Nicky offered to let me stay here for a day or two. If that's all right with you."

"Oh, of course!" Caroline said. "Stay as long as you need." She left the room and Selina looked at Klaus. "We have to tell her. We have to tell her what she did."

"Yes, I know," Klaus said. "I plan to. But since you don't have anywhere else to go at the moment, I think I'll wait to tell her until you've figured out alternate lodging. I wouldn't want you to have to be on the street."

Selina nodded. "Thanks for that."

A few minutes later, Caroline came in with flannel sheets. "It's gonna be cold tonight," she said. "So this might be more comfortable for you." The three of them made up the bed together and then Selina said, "I feel like baking something. Who wants brownies?"

* * *

"You're kidding, right?" Vince asked Roxie. "Your parents? Together again?"

"Yeah!" Roxie nodded. "I mean, first we get that note that says Joey isn't dead and then my parents get back together! It's like Christmas!"

"Well, first," Vince told her, "I wouldn't get too excited about your parents. Why was it that your mother said she was with your father again?"

Roxie shrugged. "Something about her and Uncle Elijah having problems. She made out with Dad right in front of him and then she and dad had sex."

"Why would she do that?" Vince asked. "I thought your mom loved your uncle."

Roxie nodded. "She does, but sometimes, Uncle Elijah can be a real chauvinist pain in the butt and Mom shouldn't have to put up with that."

"Pray tell, what did your uncle do that was so bad?" Vince asked.

"Well, he accused her of having an affair with Damon and then lying about it," Roxie said. "It was yesterday, when she finally got up the courage to go see Sam for the first time since he became a vampire. She thought it would be easier if she brought Damon with her. Uncle Elijah got uneasy, said she had to have a chaperone, and things just went to hell in a hand basket from there."

Vince sighed. "Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but-"

"If you don't want to burst my bubble, then don't say anything," Roxie told him. "How hard is that, really?"

"Have I mentioned yet how much I enjoy it when you come and visit me?" Vince asked her sarcastically.

"No," Roxie said. "And when are you gonna let me and Addie move back in, anyway?"

"Once we get Joey back," Vince said. "I told you that about a thousand times. Let me see the note again, would you?"

Roxie went and got the note, handing it to him. It was stained and crumpled now, but still very legible.

"And are you sure you don't know who sent this?" He asked her.

Roxie shook her head. "No. The doorbell rang, but by the time I opened it, there was no one there and all that I saw was the note."

"Well, that's damned inconvenient," Vince said. "But I still don't get it. This has to be a prank. Joey is dead. We saw it with our own eyes. You don't forget something like that!"

"But who would want to do that to us?" Roxie asked. "Whether it's a prank or not, who would want to do that to us?"

* * *

"Well, well, well," Enid turned around at the sound of the voice and found herself face to face with her sister, Hazel. "What?" Enid asked. "What do you want?"

Hazel pushed her white-blonde hair out of her eyes. "I don't want anything. It's been awhile since I came to see you and I just would like to know how you're doing."

"Oh, I'm good," Enid said nervously. "I got a new boyfriend. All right? Bye now."

"Wait just a minute," Hazel said, following her. "You can't do that to me. You can't just tell me two things about your life and then say goodbye! Let's talk."

"I would love to, but I'm very busy at the moment," Enid said.

Hazel looked around the empty bar. "Busy with what? There isn't anyone here." She looked at her sister suspiciously, her blue eyes narrowed. "Enid," she asked, "is there something you're not telling me? If there is, I would like to know now."

Enid looked into her sister's eyes, struggling with what to say, how to phrase what she'd done with Joey in a way that would bring the lightest possible punishment, when all of a sudden, his cry broke the tension.

"What's that?" Hazel asked. "It sounds like a baby."

"It _is_ a baby," Enid said. "I'm taking care of him for some friends."

"Well, can I see him?" Hazel asked. "I bet he's adorable!"

"No, you can't see him," Enid said. "He doesn't do well around people. Sorry."

"Oh, come on," Hazel said. "Just show me. I only would need two seconds."

"Fine," Enid said. She led Hazel up to Joey's room and showed him to her. "Here he is," she said. "This is Jeremy."

"He _is_ cute!" Hazel exclaimed, looking at the dark haired baby. "But he's so tiny! Was he born early?"

"Yeah," Enid said. "He was. So that's why I can't let him be overstimulated. He's just a little guy."

"Awww!" Hazel reached into Joey's crib and began stroking his stomach, which made him stop crying. "Where did you say he came from again?"

"Just some friends of mine," Enid said evasively. "They went on a long trip. They should be back in a month or two."

"Well, that's just ridiculous," Hazel said. "They shouldn't have a premature baby then go off on some vacation! How did they expect the child to survive? Did they not want him or something? Did they want him to _die_? When they come back, don't you go giving him to them. They are clearly not fit to have such an adorable child."

Enid's jaw dropped. "Hazel! I can't just keep a kid from his parents! I'm going to give him back at Christmas and that's that."

"Oh, really?" Hazel asked, gently picking Joey up. "Look at his adorable face. Do you really want to doom him to a life of abuse and neglect? I bet his parents are complete nutcases."

"Actually they aren't," Enid said. "Joey has a sister and his parents are very good to her."

"Joey?" Hazel hiked up an eyebrow. "I thought you said his name was Jeremy!"

"Well, his parents said I could call him either name," Enid said quickly, trying to cover up her mistake. "Joey is his first name and Jeremy is his middle name."

"Just who are these friends of yours?" Hazel asked, her eyes narrowing. "I don't care if they're on vacation. I'm gonna go have a word with them."

"Don't you dare!" Enid said. "Babies and childbirth are _my _areas of expertise, Hazel. Not yours. Now, you've seen him like you asked and I'd like you to go away."

"Fine," Hazel said. "But let me tell you this. Something doesn't feel right to me. You know I'll find out what's going on eventually, and when I do, there _will_ be consequences."

Enid burst out laughing as Hazel put Joey down. "Oh, I'm real scared. What are you gonna do? Go whine to Daddy?"

"You _should _be scared!" Hazel said. "He can take your powers away for good! Do you want that, Enid?"

"If I were doing something that was against the rules, even if my powers were taken away for doing it, I still wouldn't be sorry," Enid said. "I wouldn't regret it for a minute. Now you just go toddle along to Father and tell him that you've done your duty as the good daughter by threatening me today."

Hazel gave her a sour look and disappeared. Enid breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at Joey who was staring up at her. "That was close," she said, picking him up and cuddling him. "Don't worry, though. You'll get to see your mommy and daddy. They know you're alive and everything. I sent them a note. They just don't know it's from me."

* * *

Roxie and Vince left Addie in the capable hands of her parents and Caroline and went to work that night where Enid seemed a bit jittery. Finally, after she dropped an entire pitcher of beer on the floor, Roxie decided to ask her what was wrong.

"Oh, nothing," Enid said. "I'm just exceptionally clumsy tonight. Don't bother, I'll clean it up."

"Are you sure?" Roxie asked. "You know, if there's something that's bothering you, I'd be more than happy to listen if you'd like to discuss it."

"Well, all right," Enid said after a minute. "I've done something bad to a friend of mine, and it's really been troubling me. I want to fix it."

"Well, what did you do?" Roxie asked.

"I..." She looked away from Roxie. "I just, um-you know what? Why don't you and Vince take the rest of the night off? You work hard. You deserve it!"

"Are you all right?" Roxie asked her. "Your eyes look kind of funny."

"Hey," Enid said, laughing nervously. "I'm a small business owner. I work around the clock to make the place a success. You on the other hand, do not have that burden. So, you go home and enjoy yourselves. Please. I insist."

"Well, all right," Roxie said. "But before I go, I just have one question: I found a note on my front step awhile ago that said Joey was alive. Do you know if it was some sort of sick prank that someone around here felt like pulling, because I don't find it very funny."

"It wasn't a prank," Enid said. "It's the truth. I wrote that letter. It came from me. And Joey _is _alive."

* * *

"Here you are," Alistair said to Selina when he got into Enid's a few days later. "So, how have you been?"

"How have I been?" Selina looked at him like he was stupid. "I've been horrible, that's how I've been! I screwed up and Elijah is gone, and I really, _really_ miss him!"

"You do?" Alistair asked. "Well, that's good to hear."

"Sorry to burden you with all my problems, but I can't drink, I can't smoke, pretty much all I can do is talk," Selina said. "But you're a very good listener."

"Elijah and Gregory are staying with me," Alistair told her. "He told me what happened with the two of you. What in the world were you thinking?!"

"I wasn't," Selina groaned. "He upset me and the first thing I could think of to get back at him was to kiss and then sleep with Nicky!" She put her head down on the bar. "I am the worst person in the world. He probably doesn't miss me. I don't blame him."

Alistair put a hand on her shoulder. "You know what? He'd probably kill me for telling you this, but he _does_ miss you. There's even a part of him that doesn't think he's good enough for you."

"Really?" Selina asked in amazement. "Why?"

Alistair fiddled with his tie and lowered his eyes. "I told him why you reacted the way you did about Sam and about him. Or at least some of it. About your childhood and how all the men you knew were horrible."

Selina looked up. "Well, it's about time somebody did. Would you tell him that I've ended things with Nicky? We had a talk and decided that doing what we did was wrong. I'm not staying with him anymore. I've moved in with Vince and Roxie. Not that that will change things, but I just want him to know. Would you tell him that? And that I miss him and Gregory?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded, giving her a hug. "And about Elijah, give it time. He loves you, and you love him. You're just going through a rough patch right now. Things will get better, I promise."

Selina nodded. "I hope you're right."


	22. Hooray For the Pumpkin Pie

"You'll never guess where I just was," Alistair said to Elijah.

Elijah barely looked up. "Probably not. Please tell me."

"I paid a visit to that bar Selina likes so much and I saw her. She's a mess. She told me that she and Klaus are not living together anymore, she's staying at Roxanne's. She thought you'd want to know that. And she also wants me to tell you that she misses you and Gregory very much."

"Who?" Gregory toddled into the room, pointing at himself. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Alistair said, taking him onto his lap. "Your mother misses you very much."

"Mama dead," Gregory said, his expression somber.

Alistair frowned at Elijah. "Why in the world would you convince him she's dead? She's not!"

"She might as well be, for the moment," Elijah said. "If ever we manage to make peace, I'll remove the idea, but until then, I thought it would be better for him because he wouldn't spend all his time crying over a woman that he won't see."

"Is that how you cope too?" Alistair asked him. "By pretending she's dead? You won't be able to keep that idea in your head forever."

Elijah nodded. "I know. I've come up with another way to distract myself. I've decided to resume vampire hunting with my father. I'm sure he'll be pleased."

"And is Selina the first big, bad vampire you plan to go after?" Alistair asked, his eyebrow raised. "Please tell me even you wouldn't be that foolish. If you could just see her face now, you would realize that she's sorry and miserable.

Elijah looked up at him, his face cold. "I pity you, Alistair," he said. "You shouldn't have such faith in people. You'll only end up getting hurt."

* * *

A few days later, the bell over the bakery door rang. Selina looked up and saw Damon and Stefan coming in and toward the counter. "Well, hello!" She said with a grin. "What can I get for you boys?"

Damon looked at the bakery case. "How about a couple of those really big pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies and an explanation?"

Selina pulled the cookies out of the bakery case, they paid, and then she said, "What sort of explanation?"

"Like why I haven't heard from you since we went to go see Sam," Damon said.

Selina sighed. "Look," she said. "Elijah flipped out about us going to see Sam. He got it into his head that you and I were actually messing around the whole time and were just using Sam as a cover. He accused me of cheating on him, I got upset and slept with Nicky, and now Elijah and I are on a little marital vacation. If I stay on the straight and narrow and behave myself, he'll take me back eventually, and I think talking to you alone would be straying from the straight and narrow. I'm sorry."

"That's why I came with him," Stefan said. "And I probably shouldn't tell you this because it might only add to your sense of pain and loneliness, but Anna said she's not speaking to you, at least not until you and Elijah patch things up."

Selina nodded. "I thought that would happen." She sighed. "Is Anna upset that you're over here?"

Stefan shook his head. "No. She told me that I could still communicate with you as long as I didn't make _her_ do it until she was ready to."

Selina nodded. "It figures. That's Elijah's stance too."

Just then, Laura started crying. "If you'll excuse me for a minute," Selina said, "I'm gonna go take care of Laura. Talk amongst yourselves."

As she made her way back to the room where Laura was napping, Abby appeared beside her. "How come your husband never comes by anymore? Are the two of you having a fight?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "We are."

"How sad," Abby said, although she looked positively giddy.

"Look," Selina told her. "Go see if your grandmother needs any help. I have to go tend to Laura."

"Okay!" Abby said, a sudden, short giggle escaping her lips before she ran off in the direction of the kitchens.

Selina sighed and rolled her eyes, heading into Laura's area. "Hi, honey," she said, picking the little baby up. "Are you okay? Let's see what's the matter with you." Just to be safe, she covered all the bases: fed her, changed her and handed her a small object to suck on before taking her out into the main area.

"I thought I'd bring Laura out to get some fresh air," she said. "And to see people. It's never too early to start developing social skills."

Damon peered at the baby. "You know," he said, "I have vague memories of what you looked like when you were her age and I think she's gonna look a lot like you."

"You think?" Selina asked. "I thought it was too early to tell, but I believe you." Laura caught Damon's eye and began to squirm, reaching out.

"Yep," Damon nodded, reaching out to take her. "She's definitely gonna be like you."

"And it happens again!" Selina said. "Seriously. First me, and then Lucy and now Laura. What is your secret for attracting the attention of small babies?"

Laura just looked up at him and smiled. "Well, I don't know," Damon said. "This isn't gonna upset Elijah that Laura wants to bond with me too, right?"

"I won't mention it," Selina said. They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Damon handed Laura back to Selina.

"So," Stefan said to Selina. "What are you planning to do for Thanksgiving?"

Selina sighed. "Well, I can't imagine anyone will want to come over, so I think I'll just make myself up a pumpkin pie, and then go the store and buy turkey lunch meat and cranberry jelly and sit in front of the television by myself watching_ How the Grinch Stole Christmas._"

"Well, that's pathetic," Stefan blurted out. "I tell you what: I'll talk to Anna and maybe I can convince her to let you come have Thanksgiving with us."

"That's what I'm doing," Damon said. "It wouldn't hurt us to have one more person and since Stefan and Anna are actually gonna be there, it's not like you and I are gonna be alone."

"Thanks for the generous offer, but no," Selina said. "I did something wrong and this is the price I have to pay for it: being as good as alone on family-oriented holiday. I can't wait for Christmas."

"All right," Stefan said. "So I won't talk to Anna. But you can't say I didn't bring it up."

Selina nodded. "That's true, I can't. And thank you for at least _trying_, by the way. I appreciate it."

"No, problem," Stefan said, finally taking a bite of his cookie. His phone beeped and he picked it up and looked at it. "That's Anna. I should probably be getting on my way," he said.

Damon reluctantly handed back Laura, whose lip began to tremble once she was back in Selina's arms. "I gotta go too," he explained. "Stefan is my ride."

They left, taking their cookies with them and Selina cuddled and shushed Laura before putting her down for a nap. Two hours later, the door opened again and Elijah of all people strode through it.

"Hello," Selina said, trying her hardest to appear nonchalant. "Can I get you anything? A big cookie perhaps?"

"No, thank you," Elijah said curtly, doing his best not to bump into other customers. "I came to talk about Laura. Is there a place where we can do that in private?"

Selina sighed. "All right. I'll go get Abby from the kitchen to cover the register and then we can go to the back room and talk."

"Good," Elijah nodded. He too was trying to appear unmoved by the sight of her, but he noticed she was wearing a low-cut top, which showed most of her beautiful chest to its best advantage. "Are you wearing a bra?" He asked her, once they were settled in the back room. "Is this how you get business? By dressing like that?"

Selina looked down at her snug pants and top and said, "If you must know, it's easier to feed Laura if I'm wearing a shirt like this," she said. She wanted to punch him for being so bossy, but she knew that would get her nowhere. "So," she said. "You're here to talk about Laura?"

"Yes," Elijah said. "I was wondering if we might arrange a visiting schedule for her and me. After all, she shouldn't have to suffer just because you made some bad decisions."

"No, she shouldn't," Selina agreed, her fists tightening at her sides. She told herself to relax. "So," she said, sitting down. "What sort of visiting schedule were you thinking? Would you like some time every day? Or a couple of times a week?"

"I would prefer every day, of course," Elijah said. "At her age, bonding is very important. If I don't bond with her, she might end up like Lucy did when she was little, thinking of multiple men as her father. Believe me, though. I will be the only one Laura will _ever_ think of as her father."

"That's reasonable," Selina said. "Now, if we go with a visit every day, it would be for two hour intervals unless you wanted me to send formula and a bottle with you so you could feed her yourself. I'm open either way."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to give her a bottle," Elijah said. "Since I want to bond with her, it would be counter-intuitive to-"

At that moment, Laura began screaming her head off. "Hold that thought," Selina said. "Sorry. It's time to feed her. Would you mind locking the door to this room?"

"Why?" Elijah asked. And then he watched in amazement as Selina deftly removed her shirt and bra, standing proud and shirtless in front of him. He quickly went and closed the door. "My god!" he exclaimed. "What the hell do you think you're doing? This is a place of business!"

"Well, I know that," Selina said as she said down with Laura and began to feed her. "That's why I asked you to lock the door." She continued to feed Laura as Elijah watched in shock.

"What?" Selina finally asked after a few minutes. "Why do you keep making that face? What I'm doing now, this is what breasts are _for_! I don't remember you ever looking like that when I let _you_ suck on them. If this offends you so much, you can leave, but I'm not gonna let Laura starve just because you're embarrassed! I, for one, am very proud of my breasts."

"Well, that's not a surprise," Elijah said. "Considering how prominently you always display them."

"Why are you doing this?" Selina asked him. "Why are you doing all you can to goad me into picking a fight with you? If there's no chance of us getting back together, which would be very sad for me, cause there's really nothing I want more than to be with you again, feel free to tell me now."

Elijah frowned deeply at her, growled a little, rose gracefully from his chair and walked to the door to pull it open. Then he turned back to Selina and said angrily, "Bring her and her things to Alistair's tomorrow at one o'clock in the afternoon." Then he slammed the door shut which caused Laura to burst into tears again.

Selina cuddled her against herself. "It's all right, sweetie," she said. "Daddy's not a bad person. He's not scary. He's just mad at Mommy and it makes him seem more frightening than he is." Selina managed to calm Laura down and put her down for a nap. Then Selina put her bra and shirt back on, and strode out to work the counter for the rest of the day.

* * *

On Thanksgiving morning, Selina woke up early and called one of her neighbors to come and watch Laura while she ran to the store to get the groceries. She returned two hours later with her shopping bag. "Sorry it took so long, Mrs. Stevens," she apologized to the older woman. "The supermarket was a madhouse."

Mrs. Stevens nodded. "That doesn't surprise me. The stores are always packed on Thanksgiving day. So, will you be spending today with family, then?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm kind of having trouble with my extended family right now, so it will just be Laura and me."

"Oh, dear, that's so sad!" Mrs. Stevens exclaimed. "If you'd like, you know I'd be more than happy to come over and keep you company."

"No, thank you," Selina said. "You're very sweet, but no thank you. I wouldn't want to deprive you of the chance to be with your own family just because I have to be separated from mine."

Mrs. Stevens nodded and placed a firm, supportive hand on Selina's shoulder. "All right, dear. But believe me, I was in your situation once, a single mother whose family shunned her. If you change your mind and want to talk, you know where I'll be." She made her way to the door before Selina shouted, "Wait a minute!"

Mrs. Stevens turned. "What is it, dear?"

Selina grabbed her wallet out of her purse. "How much do I owe you for taking care of Laura while I was away?"

"Oh, don't you try and give me money," Mrs. Stevens said. "You have a very sweet little girl on your hands and it is a great pleasure of mine to perform an act of kindness for you."

"Well, thank you," Selina said, feeling warm inside. "Thank you very much."

Mrs. Stevens gave her a smile and left. Selina unpacked the groceries and then went to get Laura from her room. "Come on," she said. "Let's make a pie. You want to watch Mommy make a pie, don't you?" She blew on Laura's stomach, making Laura giggle, and then put her in her baby seat as she made up the pumpkin pie, and after it was done, taking out a can of whipped cream and spraying little circles at intervals around the top. But every time she sprayed whipped cream on the pie, she'd then spray a little in her mouth. Pie, mouth, pie, mouth, until there was a ring of whipped cream circles around the top of the pie. Then she put on two eyes and a smiley mouth. "There!" She said, showing it to Laura. "We have a happy pie!"

Laura giggled and Selina picked her up and began dancing around the room with her, humming a random tune. But then an alarm sounded to remind her it was time for Laura to go to Elijah's and Selina stopped. "Drat!" She muttered, hugging Laura to her. "Time to go have your time with your daddy." She made sure that extra clothes, diapers, toys, formula and bottles were in the bag. She picked it up and put it over her shoulder, then paused, a wicked idea going through her mind. She took out the bottle and formula and fed Laura so it would be a longer time before Elijah had to do it, and then put on her shirt, put the diaper bag over her shoulder again, and she and Laura headed to Alistair's.

* * *

"You could have just called me to come get her," Elijah said. "You didn't have to come all the way out here yourself. In fact, I would prefer it if you didn't anymore."

"Why?" Selina asked.

"I don't owe you any explanations," Elijah said. "Now please just give me Laura and get on your way."

"Well, happy Thanksgiving to you too," Selina said. "Here's her, here's her stuff. All of it should be in there but things were kind of hectic this morning with all the grocery shopping and food preparation, so if I've forgotten anything, don't hesitate to give me a call. I'll find whatever is missing and bring it right over. Oh, and I fed her before we left the house, so you have a couple of hours before you'll need to do it again."

"Thank you," Elijah said impatiently. "You've brought her and her things to me and I appreciate it. You can go now."

"Well, all right," Selina said. "I'll just go, Mr. Grumpy!" She turned quickly and went down the front step, walking to her car.

Now that he wasn't facing her, Elijah found himself looking at her retreating back with intense longing. Not just at her bottom, which of course was _very_ nice, the mere sight of it making him want to run after her, put her over his shoulder and carry her off to his bed, but her whole body, her long black hair, her big blue eyes, always full of depth and wonder like the ocean, her creamy porcelain skin and her round, firm br-

All too quickly, she turned around. He'd stared for too long. He averted his eyes, praying that she hadn't seen him watching her. It seemed like she hadn't. Or if she had, she wasn't going to call him out on it. Maybe she was finally getting some sense in her head after all. He looked down at Laura. "Come on, darling," he said as she peered up at him. "Let's go inside and start bonding."

* * *

Selina got in her car and burst into giggles as she drove away from Alistair's house. He'd been watching her the entire time she'd been walking away. She'd felt it, but it was even _more_ gratifying to know her sixth sense had been correct. She'd turned to check and then he'd looked away, thinking that that would stop her from seeing him. He was just too adorable sometimes. She'd let him live in denial without pushing this time. She'd already won one small victory, and besides, she'd see him again very soon.

"Well, look who's got Laura!" Alistair said. "I take it Selina stopped by and dropped her off?"

Elijah nodded. "She did, we exchanged mindless pleasantries in honor of the holiday, and then she left."

"So you behaved yourself?" Alistair asked him. "You were polite to her?"

"Of course!" Elijah said. "Even though she doesn't necessarily deserve it, I'm _always_ polite to her."

"Did you invite her here for Thanksgiving?" Alistair asked. "That would be_ incredibly_ polite."

"I couldn't do that," Elijah shook his head. "How can you expect me to stare at her across the dinner table when she-"

"Gives you the time alone that you requested to bond with your daughter?" Alistair finished. "Oh, come on. From what I've heard, lots of people are mad at her over her breakup with you. Or maybe I heard wrong."

"As they should be!" Elijah said. "Sleeping with Niklaus was a _very_ stupid decision on her part!"

"But this is a holiday about _family_," Alistair reminded him. "And whether you like it or not, your family will not be complete unless Selina is here to eat with us!"

"That may be true," Elijah said. "But I'm just not ready to face her yet! Don't push me to do something that I'm not ready to do, Alistair!" He took Laura into his room and shut the door behind him. Alistair sighed. It really seemed like he'd been making some headway, but alas, no. For the time being, he'd failed. But just because Elijah refused to be family to his wife, that didn't mean he, Alistair, had to make the same decision. He headed into the kitchen, where Astrid was preparing food.

"I heard Elijah yelling," she said. "What did you say to him to get him so upset?"

"Nothing!" Alistair said. "I merely suggested that he put his feelings aside for just this one day and invite Selina along to have dinner with us so she won't have to be alone, but apparently, that's too much to ask." He sighed.

"Taste this," Astrid said, giving him a spoonful of cranberry sauce to try. "Tell me if it's any good."

Alistair tasted it. "That's wonderful!" he said. "Did you put oranges in it?"

Astrid nodded. "And apples. And liquid Jell-O mix. It almost tastes better as a liquid, but I have to put it in a bowl and let it chill for a bit before it's ready. As for Elijah. Don't push him. It'll just make him turn balky. If it would make you feel better, we can move our celebrations to Selina's house of it's all right with her, and Elijah can spend his whole night alone. Would that make you happy?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "And I think it would make Selina happy too."

* * *

"You are despicable!" Elijah said when he opened the door two hours later and saw Selina smiling and holding a bottle in each hand, along with a small cooler. "You purposely left the bottles and formula of her bag so that you'd have an excuse to come back here!"

"And see you?" Selina raised an eyebrow. "No, I didn't! Like I told you, Elijah, I had a busy morning. Between shopping and preparing my Thanksgiving meal _and_ taking care of Laura, can you blame me for forgetting a few things?"

"Yes," Elijah said testily. "I can. Now give me the bottles and the formula, please!"

"Well, since you did say 'please' " She said. "But if we're gonna be entirely accurate, this is breast milk. I pumped it myself. It's better for her than formula, so in a way, it's lucky forgot the bottles, isn't it?"

"Just give me the bottles," Elijah said through his teeth. "Please."

Selina shook her head. "You can't carry Laura and both the bottles," she said. "You'll want the cooler too. It's got extra milk in it, depending on how long you want to keep her."

"Well, that's good to know," Elijah said.

Selina nodded. "I think I'll be going now. I don't want to waste any more of your bonding time." He thought she was gonna go, but before she did, she did one more thing. "Alistair!" She called. "I brought Elijah some stuff and he needs help bringing it in the house!"

"Does he?" Alistair said, suddenly appearing behind Elijah. "You know I'm always glad to help. I'll take that cooler. Did Elijah tell you that you're invited to help us celebrate Thanksgiving later tonight?"

"What a sweet offer," Selina said. "But I wouldn't want to intrude."

"It's no intrusion," Alistair said. "Astrid and I planned for you to come. If it would make you more comfortable, we can move the festivities to your house."

"Great!" Selina said. "I've already made pie. I hope no one's made pie."

Alistair shook his head. "No. I'll tell Astrid."

"Who else is coming?" Selina asked.

"Not me," Elijah said immediately. "Gregory and I are staying here."

"Well, what a shame," Selina said. "It would have been nice for the two of you to be there with us, but I suppose it can't be helped if you've already made up your mind." She turned back to Alistair. "So who else will be there besides you and Astrid?"

"Well, Adrian, Helene and Lenora," Alistair said. "And Sam. Would you like Sam to come?"

"Is he still here?" Selina asked in amazement. "His tour hasn't started up again?"

Alistair shook his head. "He and that manager of his have talked and decided that it would be best to start up the tour again after New Year."

"Ah," Selina nodded. "That makes sense."

"Sam won't be here," Astrid said. "He's having _his_ Thanksgiving with Damon, Stefan and Anna."

"Oh, yes!" Selina said. "Stefan mentioned that he and Anna were having a thing when he came by the bakery the other day."

"Yes," Astrid said. "And I believe Roxanne and Vince are having just a quiet family thing with Addie."

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "They are."

"So that just leaves Adrian, Helene, Lenora and us," Alistair said. "Do you have the room?"

Selina nodded. "You bet I do! I can't wait!"

* * *

"I wish Mom could celebrate Thanksgiving with us," Sam said as he helped Anna set the table. Why can't she? How come you forgot to invite her?"

"I'm sure your mother has her own Thanksgiving plans," Anna said. "And it wouldn't be polite to throw them off on such short notice, would it?"

"No," Sam said. "I guess not." They finished setting the table and then Sam met Damon in the library for a drink. "Why isn't Mom celebrating Thanksgiving with us?" Sam asked.

"Because her husband hates me," Damon said. "He's incredibly jealous of the fact that your mom and I used to be together and that we had you and that day she came to see you, her husband was convinced that we actually spent all that time in bed together and were just using you as an excuse, because he _also_ doesn't understand why you being a vampire would upset her so much, since all the other kids she has that are living now are also vampires. So he got pissed off at her and now they're separated and she's doing whatever she has to to get him to like her again. That's why she's not here. It's not because she doesn't love you or anything like that."

"Ah," Sam nodded. "Okay."

"What are you boys talking about?" Anna asked, coming into the library a few minutes later.

"We're talking about why Mom can't celebrate Thanksgiving with us," Sam said. "Apparently, it's because her husband is a psycho."

"That 'psycho' as you call him is my brother!" Anna said through her teeth. "And for your information, he loves her very much. It nearly _killed _him when she did what she did!"

"If he loves her so much, why is he making her be all by herself?" Sam asked. "If you love someone, you don't do that!"

"Well, if you love someone, you also don't make out with their brother right in front of them," Anna said, her eyes narrowed. "And that's just what your mother did. That's why I've decided that I refuse to speak to her until she and Elijah have worked things out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than listen to the two of you trash my family. I think I'll go see if the turkey is done."

She left and Damon and Sam gave each other a look. "You know," Damon remarked, "every day I ask myself what your uncle sees in her."

"Me too," Sam agreed. "Me too."

Just then, Stefan knocked on the library door. "Phone call for you," he said to Damon. "It's Lucy. Sam, you can come and watch football with me."

"Oh, thank you so much, Uncle Stefan," Sam said. "That is a _much_ less awkward activity!" He met Stefan at the door and Damon took the phone from his brother. Once the library door was closed, Damon put the phone to his ear. "Hi, sweetie!" he said. "Happy Thanksgiving, even though no one celebrates it in France!"

"I found a channel that broadcasted the Macy's parade," Lucy said. "So I didn't miss that. I _do_ miss being with you," she said. "But it's given me a lot of time to plan for next year. We'll both be _very_ thankful, by the end of the night, I promise you."

"I can't wait!" Damon said.

"How's Mom been coping with the whole Sam thing?" Lucy asked. "Is she any better?"

Damon shrugged. "A little better, a little worse. She accepts it readily now, but in the beginning, she was so worked up she briefly went back to your dad, which upset your uncle and now she and your uncle are on a little marital vacation."

"Mom cheated on Uncle Elijah?" Damon could hear the shock in Lucy's voice. "Is she insane? Why would she do that? If anyone is calm and collected enough to help her through this it's Uncle Elijah."

"She didn't think so," Damon said. "Especially after he heard about her problem with Sam and his initial response was 'So what? Now he's no different than any of her _other_ kids'!"

"And when you hear something like that, you explain what's going!" Lucy said in exasperation. "If she'd just explained what the real problem was, I'm sure he would have understood, but Mom is so emotional that sometimes, the logical solution eludes her and she ends up doing something dumb like getting back together with my dad."

"So let's talk about happier things," Damon said. "You been dreaming about me?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "And you've been naked in every single one. Last night, I had a dream where, under the full moon, you and I ran naked down the Champs-Elysees and then dove into a fountain that they have there and we stayed there until early the next morning, just as the sun was coming up, when we sneakily dressed again, and walked back to our hotel room without anyone ever catching on to what we did." She sighed. "It was _so_ hot. I wish that you could have seen it. Or that it had been real."

"Well, I wish that too," Damon said. "But remember, we get to be human when you come back. That's something to think about. And I'm coming to your show, and I'm gonna buy a picture and hang it where everyone can see it and say how wonderful it is..."

"I wish I could just come home now!" Lucy said. "It seems all I've been doing lately is working. I want to have some fun!"

"And we _will!_" Damon promised. "You just have to hang on for a little over a month, and we'll see each other at Christmas, right?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "We'll see each other at Christmas. And I'll bring you a really awesome present."

"Oh, don't," he said. "You in some lacy red panties is the only present I want."

"You completely naked is what _I_ want!" Lucy said. "Do you think you can manage that?"

"I might be able to do that, yes," Damon said. He watched the door open and then Anna came in. "Sorry, sweetie. I have to go. Your Aunt Anna's got dinner all ready."

"Well, all right," Lucy said. "Next time, you call _me_! Happy Thanksgiving!"

Damon hung up the phone and grinned. "You know, that Lucy really is delightful."

"Hurry up!" Anna barked. "I put a lot of work into this and I don't want it to get cold."

"Aye-Aye, Queen of Thanksgiving," Damon said and let her proceed him out of the library and to the table."

* * *

When the doorbell rang, Selina was hesitant to answer it. She knew that Alistair and Astrid were all right with what was going on between her and Elijah, but she had no idea how Adrian would react. She opened the door and was greeted with a very enthusiastic "Happy Thanksgiving!" from the five people on the other side of the door. They came inside and began setting out dishes of food on the dining room table. Selina took one look at Lenora and burst into giggles. "Honey, you're dressed like a turkey!"

"Yeah!" Lenora nodded. "I wanted to turn myself into a _real_ turkey, but Mommy wouldn't let me."

"Well that's because animals aren't allowed at the dinner table," Helene said.

"Yeah," Adrian told her. "The only place a turkey has at a Thanksgiving table is to be prepared, carved and eaten. You wouldn't want us to eat you, would you?"

"You wouldn't eat me!" Lenora said. Then she looked nervously at Selina. "Would he?"

"Of course not," Selina assured her. "Your father is just making a joke." Lenora walked over to the table and was just about to stick her finger in one of the whipped cream circles on the pumpkin pie when Helene said, "Don't you even think about it," and Lenora immediately backed away. "You can't have pie until _after_ dinner."

Lenora crinkled her nose and sat heavily in a chair. "Okay," she said.

They all sat down and started eating. Lenora still proclaimed she only wanted pie, but Helene made her take a little of everything just to try it. Lenora looked down at the yams with distaste. I don't want these," she said. "They look icky!"

"Remember we said you'd try a little of everything," Helene told her. "That's what's polite."

Slowly, Lenora reached down and delicately picked up a marshmallow off of her pile of yams and put some yam on it, sticking in her mouth. "There!" She said. "I've tried it!"

"One marshmallow that's half covered in yam is not trying it," Helene said. "One spoonful is trying it. Am I going to have to come over there and feed it to you? Because I _will_ do that if you refuse to do it yourself."

"Or I could," Adrian told her. "Lenora, pick one of us to force-fed you your yams. And don't use your magic to make it look like you've eaten everything already because we'll know if that's what you did."

"Fine," Lenora glowered at them. "Give me a spoon."

Overall, it wasn't as bad as Selina had thought. She hated the vegetables, of course, but loved the cranberry salad and the turkey and of course the pumpkin pie. Most of the things Selina had bought earlier that day lay forgotten in her refrigerator. This was turning out to be a much better evening than she had anticipated. When they got to dessert, Lenora finally ate with gusto and appreciation, but she left her pie crusts behind.

"Why don't you eat those?" Adrian asked her.

"I think they taste funny!" Lenora said. "I only like the filling and the whipped cream."

"That's a logical answer," Selina said.

After the dishes were cleared away, Selina took care of Laura, put her to bed, and then everyone else settled in to watch _How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  
_Adrian even elected to sit next to her, so Selina assumed that he either knew what was going on between her and Elijah and didn't care, or didn't know at all. If it was the latter case, she wouldn't say a word.

* * *

Shutting the door on the last Thanksgiving guest, Selina sat down on the sofa, flipped listlessly through the channels on the television, and when there was nothing on that she liked, she turned it off and just sat, realizing for the first time how quiet the house was. She sighed. "It'll probably be this way for a long time," she thought to herself. Even so, she realized that she had to hear a human voice, even if that voice wouldn't engage her in conversation. She picked up the phone and dialed Elijah's number. He probably wouldn't answer, but that was okay. Eventually, it stopped ringing and went to his voicemail: "This is Elijah. Please leave a message at the beep." When she heard that, she clutched the phone tightly and tried not to fall over. Finally, she found her voice.

"Elijah," she said, "I know that I'm probably the last person you want to hear from right now, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking a lot about you and Gregory. Especially you. I see you every night in my dreams. It's what's keeping me sane since I have to be away from you. I love you, I miss you, and when you're ready for us to be together again, all you have to do is let me know. Oh, and happy Thanksgiving." She then turned off the phone, put it back in the cradle, and went to bed.

* * *

The next morning, Elijah opened his phone. He'd missed a call and someone had left a message. He picked the message up and when it began, he rolled his eyes, his finger hovering over the erase button. But something told him not to be too hasty. "...I love you, I miss you, and when you're ready for us to be together again, all you have to do is let me know. Oh, and happy Thanksgiving."

Elijah stared down at the phone, gripping it tightly. He knew he should delete the message. If he didn't, it would be going against his principles. But at the same time, she was not only saying that she loved him and missed him, but also telling him that she had the sense not to try and pursue their relationship again until he was ready. He liked that. And he just liked hearing her voice. He played the voicemail again, but in the middle of it, he heard a voice. "Well, well, well. What are we listening to?"

He looked up and saw Alistair grinning at him. "Is that Selina I heard?"

"Yes," Elijah said, trying to shrug it off. "Just a pathetic attempt to get my attention. I'm going to get rid of it." He pressed some buttons to make Alistair think he was deleting it when he was actually saving it. "There, you see?" He said, holding up his phone. I got rid of her stupid message."

"Good for you," Alistair said to him before turning to leave. "Good for you."


	23. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Over the next month, Selina and Elijah mostly stayed clear of one another. Until, to her surprise, he showed up at her door the week before Christmas, clutching an envelope.

"What's going on?" Selina asked.

"My mother wanted me to give this to you," he said. "She's throwing Gregory a birthday party and wants you to be there."

"Well, of course she does!" Selina said. "After all, I am Gregory's mother."

"I tried to tell her that we were separated," Elijah said. "But I couldn't get the words out.

Selina snatched the envelope out of his hands. "Are you insane? Do you want your mother to kill me?"

"Well, I had to say something to explain why you weren't there!" Elijah said. "I would have done you a favor. Father managed to wrangle an invitation for himself and Amelia too, so it will be absolute hell for you. I wanted to protect you from that."

"Well, thank you," Selina said. "But I think I can tough it out. It's not like I never spent time with my mother before. I'll get my neighbor to watch Laura and we'll have as good a time as we can. Is she ordering a cake, or did she want me to make one?"

"She's ordering one," Elijah said. "You don't have to worry about a thing."

Selina nodded. "All right. That works. And I assume we're arriving at the party in the same car?"

Elijah nodded. "Naturally. I'll come back to the house the day before the party, spend the night and go back to Alistair's afterward."

"Oh, and before the party, don't forget to remind Gregory I'm not dead. If you forget, it might invite some questions neither of us are eager to answer."

"Stay calm about that," Elijah said. "If Mother starts to get suspicious, we can just tell her you're pregnant again and then she'll cheer right up._

Midafternoon the day before the party, Selina heard the doorbell ring. She picked up Laura and looked at her eagerly. "That's Daddy and Gregory!" She said. "Let's go see them!" She went to the door and stood there for a minute or so, not wanting to seem too eager. Finally, she opened the door to find Gregory and Elijah on the other side. She barely had time to hand Laura to Elijah before Gregory ran at her, happily yelling "Mama!" They hugged each other tight and then she picked him up and hugged him some more. "Thank you," she whispered to Elijah over Gregory's head.

Elijah nodded and hugged Laura just as tightly, even though his separation from her had been a lot shorter than Selina and Gregory's.

Selina finally let Gregory go and then she looked up at Elijah. "We're a family again," she said, trying not to cry. "I know it's not gonna last for very long, but...we're a family again!"

Elijah gave her a long look, then put Laura in her swing before coming back and slowly approaching Selina. Once he'd reached her, he slowly reached out for her, then pulled her into a brief but firm hug. She hugged back, but let him be the one to pull out of it. Then he said, "I think I'll go and help Gregory unpack his things."

"No," Gregory shook his head, taking Selina's hand. "Mama help."

Elijah shrugged. "Well, all right. I suppose that could work as well. As long as it gets done. I'll just stay out here with Laura." He handed Selina Gregory's suitcase and Gregory began tugging Selina along behind him. When they reached his room, Selina stubbed her toe on the leg of the crib and the suitcase went flying. Since it was not completely closed, clothes flew everywhere. Once Selina had righted herself, she watched in amazement as Gregory gathered his clothes in a pile and seemed to try and fold them. He didn't quite have the handle on it, and began to get frustrated. Selina sat down beside him and slowly began folding up his little shirts and pants and putting them in his dresser. Gregory was deeply focused on this, and only seemed to lighten up once all his clothes were up off the floor. When he finally cracked a smile, Selina ruffled his hair and picked him up, taking him to the living room where Elijah and Laura were.

"Are you teaching him to fold stuff?" Selina asked. "I fell, and all his stuff fell out of his suitcase and went everywhere and he went nuts. Poor little kid was trying to fold everything, but he just couldn't do it. I felt so bad for him."

"He hasn't quite got the hang of folding clothes yet, but we're working on it," Elijah said. "He's coming along quite nicely. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm all right," she said. "Thanks for asking." What's next? Selina thought to herself. Teaching Gregory how to iron his underwear?

* * *

Later that night, after both Gregory and Laura had been put to bed, Selina ran into Elijah after she left Laura's room. "You can have our bed," she said. "I'll be in my spare bedroom. Have a good night. Sleep well."

Elijah nodded. "You too."

Selina gave her hair a little toss. "Thank you," she said. They stared at each other for a few more seconds and then quickly turned away, heading in opposite directions, but not before Selina briefly turned around to stare at Elijah's retreating back. She sucked in her breath. "Wow," she whispered to herself when he was out of earshot. "Just wow."

After Elijah got to his room, he shut the door and took a deep breath. He was beginning to wonder if coming here had been a mistake. If maybe he should have just dropped off the children with Selina and then miraculously appeared at the party, claiming that a business trip or something of that nature had kept him from arriving with them and Selina. He shook his head. No, that was cowardly. He could handle being around Selina. After all, she was only a woman. He'd been around a lot of them, and a lot of them had affected him the way she did over the years.

He shut his eyes tight and walked over to the bed, undressing quickly and folding his clothes, putting them in a pile at the foot of the bed. Then he climbed into bed, tucked himself in, and turned off the light.

_He was on the beach. It was a sunny day. He lay on his back on a beach towel, sunglasses protecting his eyes. He was just about to doze off when all of a sudden, he heard shrieks and yells of astonishment coming from the other people around him. He sat up, put his glasses on his head and noticed immediately what was causing all the commotion. A woman with dark hair was flailing about in the surf, screaming at the top of her lungs. without thinking, Elijah stood up and bolted toward the water, grabbing the drowning woman's wrist. "It's okay," he assured her as he pulled her to him. "You're safe. I've got you. You don't have to worry anymore. Then, he got a good look at her, and realized that Selina was the woman that he'd rescued and she wasn't wearing anything, not even a two-piece bathing suit._

_"Excuse me," she said, her voice breathy. "I got caught in a riptide that made my suit just fall off. I'm sorry if you think I'm indecent. Would you have a beach towel I can cover myself up with? Or if not you then someone else on the beach?"_

_"Certainly," Elijah said. "Let's just get you out of the water now." He did his best to avert his eyes, but for a few seconds, he couldn't help but look at her dripping, naked body. It was so beautiful. Finally, he cleared his throat and looked into her eyes. "Tell me what you were doing in the water alone," he said. "You know you need someone with you because you're not a strong swimmer."_

_"I know," she said. "But I figured this would be the time to conquer that once and for all. And then the big wave came along and, well, you know." _

_Elijah sighed, grabbed his towel and wrapped it around her. "There," he said. That will do at least until we can get you home and into some dry clothes."_

_"Thank you for rescuing me," she said. Her gaze went down to his bare chest and then she kissed him. "You know," she said, "it's been awhile since we've made love in the ocean and it's not like there's anyone here besides us, so-" She dropped the towel and grabbed him. His hands slid easily down her body, and as she nudged him to walk backwards into the shallow ocean water, he grabbed hold of her and lay her on her back, kissing down her neck and stomach, letting the warm sun beat down on his back. Eventually, she got off his trunks and threw them in the direction of the sand, and then they made love until the next tide came in, which soaked both of them, causing them to burst into laughter before she smiled at him and said, "This was fun. We should do it again sometime. But now, I need to go home and take a shower..._

"Elijah? Elijah! Can I use your shower?"

"What?" Elijah sat up and gazed groggily at the blurry, light-purple figure standing at the foot of the bed.

"Can I use your shower?" It repeated. "Something is wrong with the water pressure in mine." He blinked a couple of times, Selina coming into focus she was wearing a bathrobe and clutching a bag of toiletries and a towel.

"Wow," she said. "You were really asleep there, weren't you?" She asked with a grin. "What were you dreaming about?"

"Nothing!" He said quickly. "Nothing at all."

"Well, all right," she said, her hands up. "No need to bite my head off. So can I use the shower in here or not?"

Elijah nodded. "I guess," he said. "If it's absolutely necessary. "I'm gonna go back to sleep. I can't believe it's morning already."

"Well, don't sleep for too long," Selina said. "It's ten in the morning and we have to be at your mother's by noon."

"Of course," Elijah nodded. "I'll remember that." Then he watched as she dropped her bathrobe and, completely naked, walked into the bathroom. "Oh, hell," he said to himself, running fingers through his hair, the sound of running shower water bringing back his dream. "I don't know how much longer I can take this."

* * *

When she and Elijah and Gregory arrived at the party, Selina could tell just by looking at everyone that they were putting on happy faces too, just like she and Elijah were. Anna especially. When it came time to hand out champagne, Elijah came over with his and hers, and after he'd drunk a bit of it, he gently put his hand down her back and let it slide down her butt.

"I like that!" She said, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Whatever you're drinking, keep drinking it."

"I haven't had much," Elijah said. "This is my first glass. I'm only trying to keep up appearances. Trying to act normal. If we don't touch each other, Mother will get suspicious."

"Right," Selina nodded. "I agree that we have to make things seem as realistic as possible. Want to go to a bedroom somewhere and realistically make out for a bit?"

Elijah gave her a look and Selina flushed a bit. "Right," she said. "That's probably overstepping. Sorry."

Elijah nodded, his lips in a line. "That's all right. Just don't let it happen again."

"You two?" Elissavetta looked at them. "How about the two of you kiss for the camera?"

"Okay!" Selina said, pulling Elijah to her and kissing him deeply. He was a little resistant at first, but then relaxed into it. She didn't hear the camera flash at all. He felt so good. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. The kiss was broken and she turned to look sheepishly at Elissavetta. "Did you take the picture already?" She asked, feeling a bit dazed. Elijah let her go and cleared his throat. "Sorry about that, Mother. We'll try and restrain ourselves." They looked into each other's eyes once more and then separated.

"That was a nice little display," Anna said, coming up to Selina. Selina spit out the champagne she had in her mouth and then turned. "Well, hello," she said. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Was it for my benefit?" She asked. "Some half-assed attempt to get me to like you again?"

"Will you hush?" Selina said to her. She pulled her off into a corner and said quietly, "we're not doing this for you. We're doing it for your mother who doesn't know we've separated, and Elijah and I both agreed that that's how it's gonna stay."

"I just cannot understand for the life of me why you left him in the first place!" Anna said. "I did all that I could to make sure you ended up with a man who would treat you well for the first time in your life and what did you do at the first unpleasant moment? You just threw everything away! Why? Why? _Why_?" She grabbed Selina by the shoulders and shook her until her teeth rattled in her skull. When she finally let Selina go, Anna crossed her arms and began tapping her foot. "Go ahead and tell my why. I'm waiting."

Selina sighed. "Fine!" she said. "It just-it was just a bad day, that's all. Everyone wanted stuff from me and the yelling and the screaming and no one was saying thank you. It was just 'do this, Selina' or 'do that, Selina,' and the people who were capable of it didn't even say 'Thank you'. It's like, that's what they _expect_ me to do because I'm the woman. ALL I wanted was to be noticed and appreciated. You can understand that, right? It's the same thing I was about when we were first friends, except without the murdering. Oh, and also Elijah also accused me of having an affair with Damon when I didn't because I wouldn't let him 'chaperone' when Damon and I went to go see Sam. You can understand why I had a problem."

Anna sighed. "No one understands that better than me," she said. "Remember, I grew up with Elijah. He's my brother. But he is the way he is and it's not gonna change. He'll say things or do things that are just awful, but he doesn't mean anything by it, not really. When that happens, all you can do is say nothing, smile, and move on as if it never happened. That's the best way to deal with situations like that."

"Now, if I were good at that," Selina said to her, "do you think we would have become friends in the first place?"

Anna gave a small smile and shook her head. "No, I guess not. But do you admit that Elijah is the best man you've ever been with?"

Selina nodded. "Well, _duh!"_

"All right, then," Anna said. "As long as you and he are working through things, I suppose I can forgive you. Just don't let it happen again."

"Oh, please," Selina said. "Going through all this once is bad enough. I don't think I will be stupid enough to repeat it."

"Good," Anna said. She looked over and saw Gregory with Elissavetta. "Looks like the birthday boy is having a good time with Mother," she said.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Did you know that Elijah compelled him to think I was dead? Can you believe that?"

"Well perhaps he only did it so Gregory wouldn't have to miss you," Anna suggested.

"Yeah, that was probably it, but still!" Selina said. "Who tells a kid that their mother is dead?"

"You girls have a nice conversation?" Selina heard Klaus' voice behind her and started badly, her arm jerking back and sending what was left in her champagne glass all over Klaus' clothes. "Oh, my god," Selina said, turning to face him. "I'm sorry, Nicky. You startled me. Here, let me help you get that cleaned up." Her eye found Elijah, who was talking with his father. "On second thought," she handed Anna the cloth, "I think it would be best if you did that."

She strode away, and went to see Elissavetta and Gregory. "How are things going here?" She asked Elissavetta. Is Gregory behaving himself?"

"Oh, yes," Elissavetta said, pushing her dark brown hair out of her eyes. "It makes up for the fact that Mikael is here with that woman of his. She's horrible. Have you met her?"

"Actually, yes," Selina nodded. "That's _my_ mother. The woman who gave birth to me."

Elissavetta looked taken aback. "Are you sure?"

Selina nodded, looking at her mother with narrowed eyes. "Yes, I'm sure." She cleared her throat. "I should probably go over and say 'Hello' before she berates me for not doing it earlier. Excuse me." She strode away from Elissavetta and towards her mother. "Please tell me you're behaving yourself," she whispered.

"All this is a little elaborate for a two-year-old's birthday party, isn't it?" Amelia whispered back, gesturing around the lavishly decorated room. "Why go through all this if Gregory's not gonna remember it anyway?"

"Oh, come on," Selina said, although, to her shock, she secretly agreed with her mother. "It makes Elissavetta happy to have soirees like this, so what's the harm, really?"

"And while I'm on the subject of Gregory," Amelia said, "Go pry him away from that horrible mother in law of yours so I can have my turn with him."

Selina rolled her eyes and went back over to Elissavetta. "My mother would like a chance to wish Gregory a happy birthday," she said. "Would you mind letting him go for just a few minutes?"

"Why couldn't she have come over here herself to tell me that?" Elissavetta asked. "Why did she make you her errand girl? You tell her that until she comes and asks me to see Gregory herself, he's not going anywhere."

Selina felt her temper begin to rise. She walked over to Elijah and put a hand on his shoulder. "I want to warn you about an impending battle between our mothers over who gets to see Gregory. Would you do something about that?"

Elijah sighed. "Who started it?" He asked tiredly. "Your mother? Or mine?"

Selina pointed in Elissavetta's direction. "The one who currently has him."

"All right." Elijah squared his shoulders and strode over to his mother. "Mother, I know you're having a good time with Gregory, but please let Amelia see him too. She's just as much his grandmother as you are."

Elissavetta looked annoyed. "All right," she said, handing Gregory to him. "I just don't see why she couldn't have come over and asked me for him herself."

"Well it doesn't matter," Elijah said. "There are lots of people here who want to see him, so you have to learn how to share."

"I think I have," she said. "You're holding on to him, aren't you?"

Elijah sighed and took him over to Amelia. "There you go," he said. "There's the birthday boy."

"Thank you," Amelia said.

"I have to talk to you about something, son," Mikael said. "Were you serious when you mentioned hunting with me again?"

"Well, yes," Elijah nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Mikael shrugged. "I just thought being married to a certain someone would change your view on hunting."

"No," Elijah shook his head. "No, it doesn't. As long as we don't plan to go _after_ that certain someone."

"Oh, all right," Mikael sighed. "I suppose she _has_ been behaving herself. I suppose I could let her go. But if she so much as puts a toe out of line, I'm going to go after her."

"Noted, Father," Elijah answered. "But I doubt she's that much of a fool."

The chattering and passing around of Gregory went on for a little while longer and then Elissavetta brought out the cake and Selina helped Gregory blow out the candles while everyone sang Happy Birthday.

"Who wants to cut it?" Elissavetta asked.

"I'm his father, I'll do the honors," Elijah said. He cut the huge cake and everyone had a slice. Gregory ate messily, getting cake all over his clothes and in his hair.

"Looks like I'll have to give him a bath when we get home," Selina said, a smile on her face as she picked him up and took him away from the table. As she was wiping him off and getting the frosting out of his hair, Klaus came up behind her. "How are you?" He asked her.

"I'm fine," she said, not meeting his eyes. "How are you? Are you and Caroline fighting? Did she kick you out because of what we did?"

Klaus sighed. "No. I have to mind my p's and q's and you aren't allowed anywhere near our place, but she didn't kick me out."

"Well I'm glad," Selina said. Gregory began to squirm as she continued to work on his hair. "Would you hold onto him?" She asked Klaus. "I can't seem to get a good grip."

Klaus took hold of him and Selina tried to be as gentle as she could and not pull Gregory's hair. When the last bit of frosting was out, so he was sticky but no longer stained, she said, "Thanks for your help."

Klaus nodded. "No problem. I should probably go."

"Yes," Selina nodded. "That might be best. And about Caroline, Christmas is coming up. Maybe she'll be willing to patch things up with you then."

Klaus nodded. "I hope so. I hate being in a house full of tension and I bet you do as well."

Selina nodded. "You'd be right on that one."

They stayed until Gregory began fussing and then Elijah took him home for his nap while Selina went to pick up Laura. "That was some party," Selina said when she got back. "Let's hope that in the future, there are very few occasions where our mothers are in the same room."

Elijah nodded. "Good thing Mother didn't bring that boyfriend of hers, otherwise it would have led to a whole other set of problems."

Selina sighed. "So what are we gonna do about Christmas?" Selina told him. "Stay separate, be together but be here, what?"

"I think that's another thing Mother will want to celebrate together," Elijah said. "But I will make sure that it will be a much cozier affair than Gregory's birthday was, I promise."

* * *

It was a few days before Christmas when, through the sleet and snow, Damon drove to meet Lucy's plane at the airport. He stood with all the other people waiting for arrivals and when Lucy came through the door, it was hard to say which one of them was more excited to see the other. Lucy's eyes lit up and without saying a word, she sprinted the length of the airport lobby and tried to jump in his arms, but he wasn't prepared for that and they fell in a crumpled heap instead.

"I'm sorry," she said, planting kisses all over his face. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Damon said. "Even though your knee is going into my diaphragm."

"Oh!" Lucy got up quickly. "I'm so sorry!" She looked down at the bags on the floor near her feet. "I hope nothing got broken. I guess I should have thought about that before I tackled you, right?"

Damon grinned. "I have been tackled a lot while playing football, but you are by far my favorite tackle."

She handed him a bag. "I got you a present."

"Thanks," he said, taking it from her. "But I told you what I wanted. You didn't have to get me anything else."

"Well, it's not strictly for you. Look what's in it!" Lucy said excitedly. Damon began pulling out boxes with Christmas ornaments in them. "I got one from every country I visited in Europe," Lucy said. "England, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. I figured it would be a good start to what goes on our Christmas tree."

Damon smiled. "_Our_ Christmas tree. I like the sound of that." He went and put her bags in his car, and then came back and led her back to the airport door, but once they got outside, they were confronted with a large patch of ice.

"Okay, here's what we'll do," Lucy said. "I'll put the sack with the Christmas ornaments in it over my arm, then I'll walk behind you, holding on to your hands, and very carefully, we'll make our way across the ice. I almost fell when I ran into this patch coming in here. Did you?"

Damon nodded. "Uh-huh. Your idea is good, but how about you put the bag over your arm and I'll _carry_ you across the ice?"

"Are you serious?" Lucy asked.

"Well, yes," Damon nodded. "I don't want you or the Christmas ornaments to risk being broken in any way."

"I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble," Lucy said. "It's very sweet, but I really don't mind walking."

"_I_ mind," Damon said. "Come on. Put your arm around my neck."

"Are you sure you're not gonna fall?" Lucy asked. "Because it'll hurt a lot more if I hit the ground coming from higher up."

"I _swear_ I won't drop you," Damon said. Finally, Lucy put the bag of ornaments over her arm, wishing she'd put them in the suitcase before Damon took it away. Then she put her arm around his neck and he picked her up and carefully carried her over the ice before setting her down in front of his car. "There," he said, panting a little, his breath showing white in the cold. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No," Lucy said, hugging him. "It was kind of nice, actually." She hugged him. "Thank you."

"Let's get you in the car," Damon said, opening the door for her. "Unless, that is, you _want_ to stand out here in the cold all night?"

"No," Lucy said, hopping into the passenger's seat. "I don't."

As they pulled out of the airport, Damon said, "Just to warn you, your mother will probably call and ask me to bring you over to her and your uncle's just so she can see with her own eyes that you're okay. Are you up to that, or should I tell her that it can wait until tomorrow?"

"No," Lucy said. "Delaying stuff like that with my mother is not wise. I can handle seeing her tonight. I'm not tired at all."

* * *

"Lucy?" Selina asked when she opened the front door and saw Lucy on the other side. "How are you? Come in! And Damon, thank you for bringing her. I guess it's pretty cold out there, huh?"

"A bit," Lucy nodded, sitting down on the sofa.

"Are you hungry?" Selina asked her. "I made cinnamon bread and cider."

Lucy nodded. "I'll take a small piece of the bread and a large mug of the cider." She shivered under her dark green sweater. "So, what's new with you?" She asked as her mother cut the bread. "Things any better with you and Uncle Elijah?"

The knife paused and Selina looked up at her. "No big improvements yet, but I'm working on it," Selina said. "The only one he really talks to now is Laura."

"Who's that?" Lucy asked. "Am I missing something?"

"Your newest half-sibling," Damon said in a stage whisper.

"_Oh_," Lucy nodded. "I gotcha. Now we're on the same page. So, how long until I get to be human?"

"Christmas," Selina said. "And then you'll have until New Year's before you turn back. Astrid had to go through a lot of magical channels to make this work, so you have to be responsible with it. Just act like you normally would, only more cautious because you'll be human."

"Well, Christmas isn't too long to wait for," Lucy said. "Where's Uncle Elijah staying while the two of you are separated?"

"At Alistair's," Selina said. "You should see him. He'll definitely want to see you."

Lucy sighed and walked over to sit on a stool in front of the breakfast bar. "Okay," she said. "I wasn't gonna say anything about this, but I feel I have to. What happened between you and Uncle Elijah to make everything implode like it did? I know you probably have explained this a thousand times and think I'm being incredibly nosy, but I'm concerned."

"Things like this are bound to happen with us occasionally," Selina said, plunking a piece of bread on a plate and setting it down in front of her. She looked at Damon. "You want any while I've got it out?"

Damon shook his head. "No, thanks. I'm fine."

Selina nodded. "All right." She cut what was left of the bread in half and wrapped one half up in plastic wrap, and put the other in the bread box. Then she pushed the wrapped half in front of Lucy. "When you go see your uncle, would you bring this to him?"

Lucy nodded. "Of course."

"As for him and me," Selina said, "Like I told you, it was bound to happen eventually. He's proud, I'm proud. He's stubborn, I'm stubborn. He's traditional, I'm progressive. Sooner or later, you know we're gonna..." She knocked her fists together.

"So what started it this time?" Lucy asked.

"Well, the first thing was his fault," Selina said. "I wanted to go visit Sam for the first time after he became a vampire, but I was a little nervous about it, so Damon offered to go with me. When I told your uncle about it, he told me that I wasn't allowed to see Sam unless he was he was there to chaperone Damon and me. I can only guess that based on our prior association, the thought of us alone together made your uncle really nervous. But I vetoed that, and Damon and I went and saw Sam by ourselves, and the whole time your uncle was home alone, his mind was cooking up all these salacious scenarios that didn't actually happen, so when I got home, he was mad enough that he called me a harlot and accused me of cheating on him. Your father was there at the same time, and I got so mad at your uncle that I decided to get back at him for his false accusations by making out with, and having sex with your dad while your uncle was still in the house. Then, Elijah left and took Gregory with him, they went to Alistair's and I've been on probation ever since."

"How hard would it have been to let him come with you as a chaperon, if only to keep the peace?" Lucy asked.

"It offends me that he even asked to do that!" Selina said. "If he wants us to have a stable relationship, he's gonna have to learn that he needs to trust me. If he can't even let me have my own life without needing to peer over my shoulder every minute of the day, what sort of relationship do we have, really?"

"I'm sure he's not opposed to letting you have your own interests," Lucy said. "But really, I think you should give him a little bit of a break when it comes to Sam. The fact that Sam exists is evidence that when you are having an emotional crisis, you have a tendency to seek relief from the crisis by any means necessary, usually sexual ones."

"But let me assure you that this time, honestly, we didn't do anything," Selina said. "I've accepted that the two of you are together and I'd never hurt you that way, no matter how desperate or angry I was."

Lucy nodded. "I know. I trust you. I could talk to Uncle Elijah for you. If you wanted."

Selina shook her head. "Thank you, but I don't think that's a good idea. I think he just needs his space and the occasional reminder that I'm thinking about him, and eventually, he'll come around. You don't have to do anything. The cinnamon bread will do the talking. So, enough about me. Anything important happen in Europe that you didn't already tell me about? How did your last show on the continent go?"

"Mixed reviews," Lucy said. "My technique was universally praised, but some people had issues with my dark subject matter." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, don't listen to the doubters," Selina said. "The important thing is that you're painting what you want to paint and if people don't like it, then that is their problem."

Lucy finished her cider and her cinnamon bread. "If I'm gonna go see Uncle Elijah, we should probably go now, so I can get to bed at a decent time," she said. "I'll probably be like a zombie the next day or two because of the jet lag. Thanks for the goodies, Mom." She grabbed the bread for her uncle and held onto it.

"Well, thank you for coming to see me," Selina said. "I'm glad to know that things went well and you got back all right."

Lucy nodded and scratched the skin of her neck, wishing she'd worn a sweater that _wasn't_ a turtle neck because turtlenecks were irritating, not to mention itchy. Then she looked at Damon and the two of them left Selina alone again.

* * *

Damon and Lucy headed back to his house and Lucy took his car to Alistair's alone. When Alistair opened the door and saw her on the other side, he grinned, hugged her, and ushered her into the house. "So, how was Europe?" He asked. "I bet you're getting tired of answering that question by now, right?"

"No," Lucy grinned and shook her head. "I don't mind. It was nice. Germany was wonderful once December came. It was one of the last places I went before I hopped on the plane back here. I saw Mom and told her I was okay, and then I thought I should come over here and tell Uncle Elijah too. And bring him some cinnamon bread Mom made that she thought he should have." She held it up. "Where does he camp out around here?"

"If he's not in his room, which is the first one on the right side of the hall, then he'll probably be in the library. He's turned that into a sort of office where he shuts himself in most of the day," Alistair said.

Lucy nodded. "Thank you." She checked the bedroom Alistair had pointed out, but it was empty, so she found her way to the library and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Elijah called. Lucy opened the door and came in. "Hi," she said. "I'm back."

Elijah saw her and his eyes lit up. He rose gracefully from his desk chair and walked around his desk, doing his best not to trip over Gregory, who was playing with toys right next to the desk. He strode over to Lucy and hugged her hard. "I'm so glad you're back safe," he said. Then he let her go and she looked at the cinnamon bread that he'd squished with dismay. "Mom sent this for you," she said. "It's cinnamon bread she made. It's really good. If you don't want it, I'll take it."

"No, it's fine," Elijah said. "I'll take it." He took it from her, and as he was going back to his desk to unwrap it, Gregory noticed her. He got up and began walking toward her. "Hi," he said, looking her right in the eye. "Who you?"

Lucy smiled. "I'm Lucy," she said. "What are you playing?"

He led her over to his pile of toys and she got on her knees beside him, making little tunnels with her arms and body for him to drive his cars through. Then he got in Elijah's desk chair and she pushed him around the office while he laughed himself sick. Finally, Lucy stopped the chair and took a deep breath. "Okay, we have to stop that now. I'm tired."

"I bet you are," Elijah said, nibbling on a piece of the cinnamon bread that he held on his hand. "Do you just want to spend the night here? If you do, I'm sure Alistair can find you a room."

"Thanks, but I think I have the strength to get home," Lucy said. Elijah looked out the window. "It's very dark out," he said. "I don't know if I'm comfortable with you being on the roads by yourself. Could you just indulge me and let me come with you? So at least in my own mind, I know you got home safely? We'll take my car and when it's light, I'll come get you and you can bring your car home. I know it seems like a ridiculous plan, but it would really make me feel better."

"I'll still be the one driving, right?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Of course."

She nodded and Elijah put Gregory in the living room where people could watch him and after he hugged her leg and told her goodbye, they left to go back to Damon's. The roads were hard to see in the dark, snow was falling, and when Lucy could actually see the road, she noticed that a startling amound of cars had run off it. She breathed a sigh of relief that her uncle was with her, and decided not to mention to him that when he'd first mentioned coming, she'd felt a flare of the irritation her mother must have felt when he'd insisted on chaperoning her and Damon when they went to see Sam, but she was glad she'd had the sense to squash it. When they reached Damon's house, she parked and put her hand on her uncle's. "Thanks for coming with me," she said. "It made me feel more at ease knowing I wasn't alone on the roads in case, you know, something bad happened."

Elijah nodded and hugged her. "That's exactly what I wanted to come with you. To make you feel more at ease. Now get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning."

Lucy nodded. "Goodnight, Uncle Elijah."

* * *

On Christmas Eve, Lucy came home from seeing her father and Caroline to find a small tree covered in white, twinkly lights on a TV tray in one corner of the living room. "When did you get the tree?" She asked him.

He shrugged. "I got it when you were at Alistair's a few days ago, and then I hid it until today. I wanted it to be a surprise for you. I know it's small and fake, but you have to start somewhere, right?"

"Right!" Lucy said, hugging him. "You have to start somewhere. I love it. Since we only have five decorations, a big tree would have looked kind of awkward, but with a small one, we can put each decoration on a different place on the tree and create the illusion that it's more decorated than it actually is."

Damon nodded. "Sounds like a plan." They decorated the tree and then made up a fire and sat by it drinking cider while she regaled him with stories about Europe.

* * *

As Vince brought in presents from his truck and Roxie put them under the tree, the doorbell rang. She paused and ran to the door, opening it to see Enid on the other side. "Hi," Roxie said. "Merry Christmas Eve. What's up?"

Enid was having trouble meeting her eyes. "Thank you," she said quietly. "You too."

Roxie looked down at the squirming bundle she held tightly in her arms and said, "Is that Jeremy you have there? Why don't the two of you come in? It's cold out there."

Enid came inside and sat down. She was shaking and seemed on the verge of tears.

"What's the matter?" Roxie asked, coming to sit beside her. "Enid, what's wrong?"

"It's time for me to give him back to his family!" Enid said. "But I'm going to miss him so much!"

"Who?" Roxie asked. "Jeremy? You mean those friends of yours finally came back from their vacation?"

"There were never any friends," Enid said. She was frustrated. "I just told you that because I didn't want to tell you the truth yet. Remember how you got the note from me that said Joey was alive?"

"Yeah," Roxie nodded. "What about it?"

They sat in silence before Enid handed the bundle to Roxie. "Well, here he is. Merry Christmas." She got up to leave, quickly running toward the door. Roxie set the baby next to Addie and sped over to the door to keep Enid from leaving. "What the hell are you talking about?" She asked. "Is this some kind of sick joke, Enid? And if that kid you have is really Joey and you've had him all this time, why didn't you just tell us? Why all the secrecy?"

Having confessed, Enid was finally able to meet Roxie's eyes. "I brought him back from the _dead_, all right, Roxanne? Do you realize how serious that is? If I would have told you or anyone else before Joey was strong enough to live in the world, he would have probably just been killed again. Even now, if someone finds out about what I did, I will lose my magic for good, cause there are three big things you can't do with magic: You can't kill people with your magic, you can't bring people back from the dead, and you can't mess with love. Well, I shouldn't say you _can't_ do those things, because clearly I did one and did it very successfully, but they shouldn't be done because it messes with the natural balance of things or people's free will. Yet I did it for you because it just broke my heart to watch you be so sad because you lost a baby. Won't you at least thank me?"

"Is he all right?" Roxie asked quietly. "Like, he's not a changeling or anything? He's still a baby?"

"Yes," Enid nodded. "I swear. He's still a baby and as healthy as can be now."

Roxie nodded. "Well, then thank you," she said, giving Enid a hug. "Thank you so much. I would say 'You have no idea how much this means to Vince and me', but obviously you do or you wouldn't have done it. I know there's probably no way I can ever repay you, but if there's ever anything that Vince or I can do for you-"

"Just one thing," Enid said to her. "Keep your mouth shut about it. That's important. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Roxie nodded. "Sure. Of course."

"Well, then, enjoy your newest addition, and your holidays," Enid said. "I myself have a boyfriend to get home to." She gave Roxie one last nod and left. Once she was out of sight, Roxie shut the door behind her and went back to the living room where her _two _babies were lying together on a blanket on the floor. She looked down at Joey and tried not to cry. He had blue eyes, just like Addie and just like her. She worried that he'd be shy or afraid of her, but he eagerly reached toward her and when she picked him up, he immediately cuddled against her. Huh, she thought. Enid must have done something so that he would recognize me. She put her hand against his heart and when she heard it beating, she gasped. He was alive. He really _was_ alive. She finally couldn't hold her emotions back anymore and put him down, got on the sofa, and started to sob, which caused Joey to sob, and Addie after him.

Vince came in from the bedroom where he was resting from bringing in all the presents and he touched Roxie on the shoulder. "What's wrong?" He asked. "Are you getting overcome with holiday feelings?" Roxie sat up and pointed in the direction of the blankets. "Look," she said.

Vince looked at the blanket and noticed the extra baby. "Where did he come from? Did you take him from somewhere as a way to compensate for Joey not being here? Roxanne, we have to give him back!"

"No, we don't!" Roxie said. "He's ours! That's Joey! Enid used magic to bring him back to life even though she wasn't supposed to, and if we tell anyone, she'll get in big trouble!"

"Really?" Vince asked. He looked down at Joey, picked him up and held him. Then he looked at Roxie. "Well, I guess that means you'll have to remember to keep your mouth shut then." Roxie looked at him sourly and picked up Addie as he took Joey over to look at a mountain of presents on the other side of the tree. "These are for you," he said to him. "Ever since we found out you were still alive, I hoped every day that we would find you before Christmas. And now you're back, so we have."

He then turned to face Roxie. "We have to call your mother and tell her about this. I know Enid said we shouldn't tell anyone, but don't you think your mother deserves to know she's got another grandkid?"

"No," Roxie shook her head. "Enid said to keep this quiet and we need to respect that. She did this great thing for us and all she asked in return is that we don't tell anyone else. If Mom finds out herself somehow, there's nothing we can do about it, but we shouldn't purposely go blab about it so that everyone will know. Not everyone is as good at keeping secrets as we are."

Vince sighed. "I guess you're right. So, what do you say we open some of Joey's presents now? I'm too excited to wait until tomorrow."

* * *

"Merry Christmas, Cookie Monster!" Damon said. Lucy cracked an eye open, wincing at the bright light that was shining in her face from the open curtains. Then, she looked at her hand and realized that her ring was gone. "Oh, my god. Oh, my god!" She let out a shriek and ran to a corner of the room where there was more shade than light. "Where the hell's my ring?" She asked. "I need that, or I'm gonna fry!"

"No you won't," Damon said calmly. "You're human now and so am I, and humans don't need rings, remember?"

Lucy had been crouching before, but now she slowly rose to stand. "I completely forgot that that was gonna happen on Christmas," she said. "Wow. So, if I go near the curtains, nothing will happen to me?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Damon told her.

This time, Lucy went toward the window without fear, feeling warmth on her face that was from the sun, not from her skin peeling and cracking and burning off. It was a beautiful thing. She stayed like this for several minutes before turning to Damon. "I never thought I'd be able to do something like that. It feels good."

Damon smiled. "I'm glad you're happy," he said. "I hoped that when this happened, you would be."

Finally, she turned away from the window. "You want to unwrap your present now? Let me go change. You just sit, shut your eyes and no peeking. After I'm done, you can undress for me."

He grinned and shut his eyes and then she quickly undressed and put on the lacy red underwear and bra she'd bought. "Okay," she said when she was done. "You can open your eyes now." He opened his eyes wide and immediately felt unable to move. He tried to keep himself calm.

"Now you undress for me," she said. "Or can you even move? Do you need me to help you take stuff off?"

"Yes," Damon said. "Yes I do." She pulled off his shirt and as she stripped off his pants and boxers, she grinned. "Well, Merry Christmas to me!"

"Oh, stop and come here," he ordered and rolled her underneath him. They rolled around his bed and giggled for awhile, until finally, he put his hand on her stomach and gave her such an intense look that she stopped laughing immediately. "What's the matter?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he said as he lowered himself down to kiss her, driving into her at the same time. "But you will be the death of me. I love you."

"I don't know how to respond to that," she said, when he broke the kiss. "Except to say that I love you too."

They tired themselves out, rested, and spent the rest of the day in a Christmas-induced fervor, until in a moment of quiet, Lucy realized something. She and Damon had had sex _and she hadn't used anything_. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but she was human now and so was he! This was probably what her mother had meant when she had said to just do what they normally did but be more careful about it. She could get pregnant! Not that the idea repulsed her, but she and Damon weren't even married yet. It was way too soon! She shut her eyes tight and came to a decision. She had to tell someone. And there was only one person she could think of who would understand.

Gathering her courage, she grabbed the phone and dialed Roxie's number. "Hi, Roxie?" She said nervously when her sister answered the phone. "I don't mean to interrupt your holiday, but Damon and I get to be human for a week and we just had sex, but I forgot that we have to use protection now if I don't want to get pregnant, so I might be not too long from now. What should I do?"

* * *

Selina was in a much more cheerful and optimistic frame of mind. That night, she dressed Laura up in her warmest clothes and took her over to Alistair's to see Elijah.

"I thought your mother was gonna throw a big thing, but I haven't seen or heard from her all day. Did she decide to leave us alone or something?"

"She actually stopped by this morning all in a rush," Elijah said. "Told me that she was sorry but she and that Ronan were going to some tropical island for the holidays and that we'd have to do Christmas without her."

"Oh," Selina nodded. "Well, that explains that. Would you and Gregory be interested in coming downtown with Laura and me and looking at all the Christmas light displays? I hear all of them are fantastic."

"Well, all right," Elijah said after a moment. "I guess that could be entertaining." They put Gregory in his coat and took the two kids out to the car, driving downtown, where they ended up at a park where various light displays were set up. Elijah drove while Selina sat in the back with Laura on one side and Gregory on the other, his face pressed against the window as he watched snowmen, Santa Clauses and other Christmas figures made out of lights pass by. By the time they'd seen every display and were leaving the park, both Laura and Gregory were asleep.

"I think it might be best if I stayed at Alistair's tonight," Selina said. "Since Laura's already asleep anyway." Elijah nodded and they drove back home, put the kids to bed and then found themselves alone in the kitchen.

"I'm a little chilly, so I was gonna make myself some peppermint tea," Selina said. "Would you like me to make you anything?"

Elijah shook his head. "No, thanks. I'm all right." They sat down across from each other in silence, and then finally, Selina said, "You know what my favorite Christmas memory is?"

Elijah shook his head. "What?"

Selina took a sip of her tea. "Well, when I was four years old, the year before everything between Mama and me got shot to hell, she got me a bunch of presents and then we took the carriage over to Damon and Stefan's parents' house. Mama put all our presents under the tree with theirs and told me that I wasn't allowed to look until morning. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep, so I went to Damon's room and asked him if he would take me downstairs to look at the presents again. He helped me down the stairs because it was completely dark and neither of us could see a thing, but finally, we managed to make our way over to the tree and we could see the dark shapes that were our presents. We began feeling up the boxes and then, after we'd felt up every single one, he took me back up to my room and we took turns guessing what was in the packages. It was mostly just functional stuff, like hats and scarves, but I remember wishing so hard for a pony." She sighed.

"Once, when I was young, it was Mother's birthday and Niklaus and I decided we were going to do something special for her," Elijah said after a moment. "Of course, part of why we did it was selfishness because Anna was still small and demanding every second of her attention and we figured that if we gave her a birthday present, she'd spare us at least a little of her time. Since it was summer, there were flowers blooming. Niklaus picked a handful of them and I wrote Mother a poem and when we presented it to her, she looked happy for the first time in awhile. Father scoffed, of course, said we were dwelling too much on sentiment, but when she smiled at me, Father's stern words didn't seem to matter much. I felt...proud." Elijah lapsed into silence as if he were remembering that long ago birthday, until finally, he cleared his throat and stood up from the table. "Merry Christmas," he said. "I had an enjoyable evening. I hope you sleep well." He was about to turn and go when Selina put a hand on his shoulder. "Could you wait a minute? Please?" She asked. "And come with me." She grabbed his hand and led him to the front door where a sprig of fake mistletoe hung. "All right," she said. "We're standing under mistletoe. That means you have to kiss me."

"No one knows that better than me," Elijah said. "It was my people who came up with that tradition."

"Is that so?" Selina asked.

He nodded. Then, Selina slowly leaned forward and kissed him, deeply. His arms went around her and he pulled her to him. They kissed for quite a while before Selina pulled away, winked at him, and said, "Merry Christmas," before heading off to bed.


	24. Let's Get Together

"What do you mean you might be pregnant soon?" Roxie asked as she opened the front door of Damon's house without knocking the next day and strode up to Lucy.

"Will you keep it down?!" Lucy asked her. "Damon doesn't know and I don't want to make him worry if it turns out to be nothing!"

"I don't think he'd worry," Roxie said. "I think he'd marry you like any other halfway decent guy would."

"But I don't want to get married or have a kid now!" Lucy said. "Technically, I'm only eight years old!"

"I know," Roxie said to her. "You want to accomplish things, you want to see the world, you want to really make your mark first before you commit and settle down. I was scared as hell when I had _my_ pregnancy scare."

"You did?" Lucy asked. "When? I had no idea about this."

"It was about nine months before you and Sam were born," Roxie said. "In fact, one might say you owe your very existence to my pregnancy scare."

"How dare you!" Lucy said. "How dare you take a problem that happened to me and make it all about you?"

"I'm not joking, though," Roxie said. "If I hadn't heedlessly had unprotected sex with Vince and then had my pregnancy scare, you and Sam would not exist." She sighed. "Mom was the first person I told, and it took a lot out of her to hide it from Dad. One night, she ended up at Damon's. She told him about my pregnancy scare and how stressed she was about it, and he told her what a bummer it was that he had just got dumped by his latest girlfriend. They began drinking, and eventually they got so drunk that they had sex. When they woke up the next morning, Damon freaked out and told her how sorry he was about what had happened because the previous day, he'd gone to Enid's and had her give him a potion to help him be able to have a kid, but she gave it to him on the condition that Mom would _not_ be the mother of his baby. Once Mom realized what had happened, she went home and had sex with Dad, so that when Damon's baby came out of her, Dad would think that it was his. Instead, she ended up with twins: a boy that was Damon's and a girl that was Dad's, otherwise known as you and Sam."

Lucy looked horrified. "Oh, my god. You're not lying, are you?"

Roxie shook her head. "Nope."

"So what am I gonna do if I _am_ pregnant?" Lucy asked.

"Well, the good thing is that it will be a human baby, so you could put it up for adoption without trouble," Roxie said. "You could get an abortion, or you and Damon could get married and raise the baby yourself. Those are all your options. And that's only if you're pregnant at all. There's a possibility you might not be.

"But how long will it take to figure that out?" Lucy asked. "Two months? Three? I can't wait that long! The stress will eat me alive!" She grabbed Roxie's collar, her eyes wide with panic. Roxie calmly removed her sister's hands and said, "Relax, all right? It won't take two or three months. All I need to do is take you to Enid's and she can tell you right off. It's one of her super powers."

"Roxie!" Enid said. "Did you come for a drink? You don't work until tonight, remember." Then she saw Lucy as Roxie nudged her sister toward the bar. "You're...Lucy, right?" she asked. Lucy nodded.

"Well, it's always nice to see someone I don't see very often. What will you have?"

"She wants to know if she's pregnant," Roxie said before Lucy's eyes widened and she punched Roxie in the shoulder.

"I could have asked her myself." Lucy's voice was full of irritation. "Here's the story, Enid: my boyfriend and I got the chance to be humans for a week for Christmas. We had sex, forgetting that we need protection as humans if we don't want to risk a pregnancy and now I'm worried as hell. So, is there a shotgun wedding in my future?"

Enid looked Lucy over and shook her head. "No. You're fine."

"Oh, thank you god!" Lucy said.

"What's your boyfriend normally?" Enid asked.

"He's a vampire," Roxie said. "It's Damon Salvatore."

Enid's eyes widened. "Oh, my god, really? Hazel mentioned that somebody had had a chat with her about turning two vampires human temporarily, but I had no idea that was _you_!"

"Now I'm beginning to wonder if maybe it wasn't such a good idea," Lucy said. "I mean, it's nice to be able to feel the sun on my face, but I can still have that as long as I wear my ring. And I hate having to wait for the pizza guy instead of being able to make him come right away. And eating food is no fun when I have to eat fruit and crap to keep myself healthy. I like it better when I can eat all the junk food in the world and it does absolutely nothing to me."

"And most importantly," Roxie finished for her, "Since Damon, as a vampire, cannot father children, you can have all the sex you want without worrying about pregnancy scares!"

Lucy eyed her sourly. "Yeah. That too."

"Look on the bright side," Enid said. "You only have to be human for a week. It's not gonna last forever."

"At least there's that," Lucy said with a nod. "Now, are you positive that I'm not pregnant?"

"Yes," Enid nodded. "I'm positive. You're fine."

* * *

In mid-January, Lucy had the final exhibition of the work she'd done in Europe. Everyone came and the comments were mostly the same. Great techique, dark subject matter. People were especially critical of the painting of Damon being attacked by Jason the wolf. Once everyone was away from it, Lucy went and sat on a bench and just stared at the picture. It was her favorite one out of all of them because it was a depiction of something that had really meant a lot to her.

"I might be in the minority here," said a voice behind her, "but I really like this one. Can I buy it?"

Lucy turned and saw Damon standing there. "Hi!" She said, walking over to him. "You made it! Thanks for coming!"

"Well, it looks like I wasn't the only one," he said. "Everyone you know seems to have showed up."

Lucy nodded. "It's kind of funny. A few of the pictures I have up are of you and every time Mom looks at them, she just kind of sighs and shakes her head. She told me that she was glad she found out about us before this and didn't have to find out from the pictures."

Damon grinned and sat down next to her. "Remember how I told you I was gonna bring you a present?"

"Yeah..." Lucy asked, looking excited as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a ring box. "Here it is," he said, opening it. "Will you marry me?"

Lucy's jaw dropped a little. She couldn't think of anything to say. Finally, she found her voice. "Yes," she said. "In the future, I will marry you. Now it's too early."

"You already saw Europe," Damon said as he snapped the ring box shut. "What else do you need to do that we can't do together?"

"It's not like that," Lucy said. "Damon, I'm still a teenager. Give me two years, and on my twentieth birthday, ask me again."

"But then it won't be a surprise!" Damon said.

"Yes it will!" Lucy said. "I will have had two years to forget about it. Do you remember in detail things that happened two years ago?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "Not really?"

"Well, there you go," Lucy said. "You can propose in two years and I will still be surprised. Until then, I'll be living with you and we'll watch Lenora together. That's sort of like being married, isn't it?"

Damon sighed. "It's not exactly the same, but..." He grinned at her. "I love you, so I'll take what I can get. But I think it goes without saying that two years from now is gonna be great!" He looked up at the picture. "Now, who is it that I talk to about buying this again?"

* * *

As the year went by, Selina realized more and more that she was tired of coming home alone every night. She deserved some male companionship as long as she wasn't sleeping with the guy. She eventually met a man at a bookstore. His name was Ted, he was a bit older, he'd just lost his wife, and, like her, wanted a little companionship to ease his nights of loneliness rather than something serious. However, one day, he decided to suggest something a little out of the ordinary.

"Would you come to lunch with me?" He asked her. "We've been seeing each other for awhile now and I would like to go somewhere other than the bookstore. Expand our horizons a bit."

"Sounds good to me. Where would you like to go?" Selina asked.

"How about Le Cirque?" Ted asked. "My friend is the chef there and he can get us a really good table."

"I can't wait," Selina said. "It'll be just the thing to do for lunch tomorrow."

The next day, Selina and Ted were seated at a table and all ready to peruse their menus when Selina noticed something. "Oh, my god!" She exclaimed. Then she leaned closer to Ted. "My husband is at the next table!"

"Is he really?" Ted asked. "You want me to go have a word or two with him?"

"No," Selina said. "I wouldn't. It might not look like it, but he's very strong. If you tick him off, he could snap you like a twig."

"Maybe," Ted said, "but think about all he put you through and there he is with another woman!"

Selina saw and her eyes narrowed. "Would you excuse me for a minute, Ted? Thanks." She put her menu down and then strode over to the table where Elijah and his companion were sitting. She was a woman with long red hair and bright blue eyes. "Yes?" She said as Selina stood over them. "If you've come to take our order, I'll take a tea and the salmon, please."

"I am not your waitress!" Selina said. "You're sitting with my husband and I thought I would come over and say 'Hello', since I've never seen you before."

The woman;s eyes widened and she gave Elijah a look. "You didn't tell me you were married!"

"That's because it's not the sort of thing we usually discuss," Elijah said. "We talk purely about intellectual things."

"Well, yes, but that doesn't mean you should forget to mention that you're married!" The woman gave Selina a grin. "Turn around and let me have a look at you!"

"Excuse me," Selina told her, "But would it be out of line for me to ask who you are?"

"My name is Antonia," she said. "Your husband and I are old friends."

"_Very_ old friends," Elijah said.

"I'm a doctor," Antonia continued. "And let's just say I got interested in medicine while watching my father the alchemist try to cure the bubonic plague. Oops!" She put a hand over her mouth. "I probably shouldn't have said that, should I?"

"It's okay," Selina told her. "I lived through the Civil War."

"Oh, you cradle robber!" Antonia said, looking at Elijah with fondness. "But at least it's not a human girl this time."

"Gee," Selina said. "I would love to stay and chat, but I'm here with someone myself and I don't want to keep him waiting."

"Excuse me," Elijah said. "You're what? Did you say you were here with someone?"

"Yes," Selina nodded and pointed at the table where Ted was sitting alone. "That's him."

Elijah looked over at him. "What would you possibly see in a man who decides to dress business casual to come to a nice place like this? And he's a bit old for you, isn't he?"

"You know," Selina said, "it doesn't matter to me how he's dressed. And it is just ridiculous for you to comment on his age. I mean, think about how old _you_ are!"

"But I don't look it, do I?" Elijah grinned. "Unlike_ him_."

"I don't care how old he is, and that's all that matters," Selina said. "He's my date not yours. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to him and enjoy my lunch. Antonia, it was a pleasure." She turned her back on them and things were calm until their lunch came. Then, Selina heard a noise and looked up from her pasta to find Elijah standing beside the table. "Yes?" She asked. "What do you want?"

"Well, you introduced yourself to Antonia and I thought I would come over here and do the same to-" He looked at Ted. "Excuse me, what's your name again? My wife neglected to tell me."

"I'm Ted," Ted said, looking at Elijah with narrowed eyes and only reluctantly shaking his hand. Elijah then proceeded to pull up an empty chair and sit between Selina and Ted. "So," he said, looking at Ted. "Tell me, is that your real hair? Of course it is. No one in their right mind would wear a gray piece, would they?" He then shook out his own dark hair.

"Do you mind?" Ted asked. "We're trying to eat here."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Elijah said. "I had no idea I was interrupting something. How rude of me."

Selina saw Ted's hand begin to ball up into a fist. "Don't," Selina said. "You just enjoy your lunch. I will handle this." Selina stood up, grabbed Elijah's hand and dragged him into a corner. "What is your problem? I didn't mock your date and I expect you to extend me the same sort of courtesy."

"What do you mean by asking me what my problem is?" Elijah asked. "If you're going to show up with a date, which you shouldn't be doing anyway if you want to have any hope of getting back into my good graces, at least make sure he's good enough for you. But I guess that's not really possible because no one can be me except me."

Selina scoffed. "You think you're the only one who's good enough for me? Ted is a sweet man, he has a good job, and Laura especially really likes him."

Elijah froze. You let _that_ near my daughter?"

Selina nodded. "They go for car rides all the time."

"I bet his car is a heap of junk that's going to explode any minute!" Elijah told her. "How could you let her in a car like that?"

"You know, none of this would have happened if you hadn't left me," Selina said. "Then you would be the one taking our kids in your stupid, German-engineered BMW, which is a stupid and impractical car because if it breaks down there are next to no places where you can get it fixed, whereas with Ted's car, which was made in America, he can take it anywhere if it breaks down!"

"Which is good because I bet that happens quite often," Elijah said.

"You have issues with his car, his job, his clothes, what else do you want to mock?" Selina asked. "His virility?"

"What do you know about that?" Elijah asked, his voice cold. "You haven't slept with him, have you?"

"Of course not, for goodness' sake!" Selina said. "I haven't slept with anyone since, you know. Ted just lost his wife! I'm just around to make sure he has company and someone to talk to. What about you and the queen of the nerds? Have you ever seen _her_ sans clothes at any point since the two of you met?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Our relationship is purely intellectual. Antonia believes that using her brain and blessing the world with her brilliance is more important than anything else."

"Well, gee," Selina said. "What a frigid bitch."

"I prefer to see her as mature and worldly," Elijah told her. "Not everything has to center around sex, a lesson you would do well to learn."

"Oh, please," Selina said. "You can act as high and might as you want, but we both know that all you want now is me. Naked." Her tongue darted out and she slowly licked her lips. Elijah stared for a moment, but then got his composure back. "Don't make me laugh," he said. "I would have to be drunk to sleep with you."

And with that, Selina strolled over to a table, grabbed a couple of large beers and chugged them, ignoring the protestations of the people at the table. Then she grabbed two more and offered them to Elijah. "I dare you to drink these," she said. "If you don't, that means I hold my alcohol better than you."

"You're drunk," he said. "And I refuse to do something so juvenile."

Selina began clucking first softly and then louder. Finally, Elijah took the two beers and drank them, along with two more. When the two of them were thoroughly soused, Selina said, "Let's go out to your car. I have something I want to show you." She was leading Elijah out when Ted came over and put a hand on her arm. "Are you gonna come back to the table or not?"

"Oh, sorry," Selina said. "I can't. I'm busy at the moment." She burst out giggling. A few minutes later, Antonia came over to them and looked at Elijah sternly. "Are you aware of how foolish you look?" She asked him. "If you don't stop acting ridiculous, I'm going back to my hotel room right now."

"Fine," Elijah said. "Go."

Both Ted and Antonia rolled their eyes and left, and then Elijah let Selina to his car. "Now," he said. "What did you want to show me?"

She pulled off her shirt and her bra and said, "I wanted to show you these. Remember them?"

"Oh, yes," Elijah said, reaching out and stroking her breasts. "Very fondly." They climbed into the trunk (which in Elijah's car was very big) and Selina gave Elijah a look. "I showed you mine. Now you have to show me yours." She eased him onto the floor of the trunk and unzipped him. "Wow," she said, stroking him. "I really missed this!" He pulled her down to him after easing off her skirt and kissed her deeply. Then, she giggled as he kissed down her neck and rubbed her panties. "Take them off!" She said desperately. "Take them off!" He eased off her panties and pushed into her. She let out a shriek and then he pulled out of her and did it again. By the time they stopped, they were both panting and sweaty.

"Well," Selina said, sitting up and reaching for her panties. "That was enjoyable. Thank you. I think I'll be going on my way now. Good day." She put on her panties, skirt and top and crawled up to the middle row of seats and opened the door to get out of the car. "Wait" Elijah said, getting out and taking hold of her hand. "It's November, it's cold, and you're wearing a very short skirt. I want to drive you home. Also, you're drunk."

"It won't do any good for you to drive me home," Selina said. "You're as drunk as me!"

"I can call someone to come and drive us," Elijah said. "That shouldn't be a problem."

They got home and Mrs. Stevens met them at the door. "Who are you?" She asked, looking at Elijah.

"It's okay," Selina said. "He's my husband. We just had sex!"

Elijah nodded. "And we plan to do it some more!"

"So make sure the kids don't come into our room," Selina finished.

They got into the room and as they were undressing again, Selina gasped.

"What?" Elijah asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I have a feeling there's something I need to tell you, but I forget what it is, so it's probably not that important," she said and they finished undressing one another and engaged in another session of frenzied, energetic lovemaking.

Finally, Elijah rolled off her with a sigh. "How is it that you can do this to me?" He asked. "How is that even when I'm mad at you, I still find myself here with you like this?"

Selina ran her fingers lightly over his abs. "I don't know," she said. "Maybe because you still love me somewhere deep down in spite of all the bad stuff I did?"

He gave her a look.

She sat up. "So what happens now?" She asked. "Are you gonna get mad, deny everything and storm out?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "That won't help anything. It's been a year and I think it's time we started moving forward."

"You mean you're ready to take me back?" Selina asked hopefully.

"Not yet," Elijah told her. "I want you to talk to me. Explain why it was that you didn't feel I could come with you to see Sam."

She sighed. "It was because you thought that Sam was the same as all my other kids and you didn't understand how him being a vampire could be a problem. Well, here's why it was a problem: Damon and I got engaged and then he left for the war, but not before I asked him to make love to me just in case he never came back and we missed our chance. That one time ended up getting me pregnant but I didn't know that until I got sick with scarlet fever. When I went to the doctor, he told me about both the illness and the pregnancy, but he had a cure that could save both me and the baby. That's when I found out he was a vampire. He gave me his blood and it did save both of us. Then, I stayed at his house until I had the baby, who was a boy. I named him Joshua. When he was three weeks old, Doctor Stensrund sent him to live with Damon's father, and I didn't see him again for another eighteen years. It was on Halloween, 1883. Aleksandr and I had separated by then, Doctor Stensrund had died, and I was living as a hermit in his house. Since I was barely seen, there was a rumor that I was a ghost. Every Halloween, a person would come and prove their bravery by spending a night in my 'haunted' house.

"In 1883, the person who came was my son. I thought he was Damon come back at first. It's not an unreasonable mistake. But he introduced himself and showed me the pendant of a locket that had been turned into a lapel pin. It had my and Damon's pictures in it. Joshua and I got to talking and it seemed like a life with his grandfather had allowed him to become a sensible, intelligent, well-adjusted young man. He later introduced me to his girlfriend and after they married and had children, I moved in and helped them raise their family. Joshua seemed so happy with his life, you know? And I just wanted Sam to experience that same happiness and sense of fulfillment. That's why I got so upset when he became a vampire, and why telling me that he was just the same as my other children was no comfort to me whatsoever."

They sat in silence for a moment, and then Elijah said "Thank you for telling me that. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Selina replied. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

* * *

"Oh, my god!" Selina said, bursting into Anna and Stefan's house the next day. "I have done something very good and very terrible."

"I want to hear the good news first," Anna said. "Does it involve you and Elijah?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "We had sex yesterday. Lots and lots of sex. Yeah, we were drunk for most of it, but it still counts. The problem is that I haven't taken a birth control pill since Elijah left because I didn't have a reason to, so now I think we might have another kid on the way." She sat down and lay her head on the kitchen table. "Do you realize if this happens, I will have spent the majority of the last three years being pregnant? My god, it's so depressing! I mean, I love my kids, but being pregnant isn't exactly a trip to Disney World."

"Well, think about this," Anna said. "If you get pregnant, and especially if the baby is a boy, it will do wonders bringing you and Elijah together for good." She looked around. "Where's Stefan?"

"He and Nik are out doing something," Anna said. "Something very secret they refuse to tell me about."

"Why wouldn't they want to tell you about it?"

"I asked and they told me it was because I would tell _you_ and you wouldn't be too happy about it."

"Wait," Selina said. "They're keeping something from the both of us? That's outrageous! I say we leave and find out what they're doing right now!"

Just then, the front door opened. "Hello, everyone!" Stefan said. "We're back!" He and Klaus came inside followed by a young man Selina had seen at the bakery several times.

"I know you!" Selina said to him. "You come to my bakery! You're the one who came to visit his father! Have you seen him yet?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "Not yet." Then he darted out of the room, not saying another word to her. "Well, that was kind of rude," Selina said.

"You'll have to excuse Kevin," Klaus told her. "He's not rude. He's just shy."

They sat in silence for a moment before Selina stood up and said, "Well, I think I'll just go home and wait for the inevitable. Goodbye."

After she left, Klaus looked at Anna. "What does that mean?"

"She thinks she and Elijah might be having another baby," Anna told him.

"That's the third one in three years!" Klaus remarked. "They're even worse than she and I were!"

* * *

Four months later, spring was on its way and Elijah and Gregory were at the grocery store. They noticed a tiny woman trying to reach for cookies on a shelf that was too high for her. "Here you go," Elijah said, handing the woman the bag.

"Thank you," she said. She turned to face him and they both gasped. "Selina!" Elijah said.

"Hi," Selina said.

Elijah looked at her in disbelief. Her belly was protruding in a disturbingly familiar way.

He put his hands over Gregory's ears. "How in the world are you pregnant?" Elijah asked her.

"Remember how you and I spent time together four months ago?" Selina asked. "Well, I forgot to take my pill that day. That's not a surprise seeing as how before you and I did what we did, I'd been completely abstaining. And I wasn't with anyone after you, so this one is yours."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Elijah asked.

"Well, I didn't think you would care all that much!" Selina said. She sighed. "If you don't believe me, that's all right. I know I screwed up and I should have talked to you about the Sam thing rather than doing what I did with Nicky. It was wrong, it was selfish, and honestly, it didn't really make me feel a whole lot better, but I didn't, and now, I'll just go to where I've been staying and let you tell me when it's right for us to be together. When that happens, I'll be waiting for you."

She started to walk away.

"Wait a minute," Elijah said. "I'm gonna take you home. I don't want you walking around by yourself in your condition. Especially if the child is mine."

They drove to her house and Selina expected him to just leave her at the door and go. But he didn't. Instead, he told her, "In light of the circumstances, Gregory and I will move back in here with you and Laura. But it's only for the child's sake, and nothing else."

"Okay," Selina nodded. "I understand."

But inside, she was so happy she thought she was going to burst. And he'd never mention it, but so was he.


	25. My Father's Eyes

Selina brought Laura in and set her down in front of Gregory. Then, she and Elijah watched to see what would happen. Gregory and Laura stared at one another for a second or two, then Laura's mouth split into a wide grin and she reached out for her brother. "Hug, Greggy!" she said.

Gregory shook his head, and then backed away looking a little frightened as she advanced on him. "No!" he said, gently pushing her away. "Don't touch me!" He then ran off in the direction of his room and then Laura put her arms down and turned, pouting at Selina and Elijah. She walked over and tugged on Elijah's pants and held up her arms. "Hug?" She asked.

"Of course!" Elijah said, grinning and picking her up. Then he looked at Selina. "You have taught her other words besides that one, haven't you?" He asked.

Selina nodded. "Well of course I have. That one is just her favorite."

Laura put her head on Elijah's shoulder. "Nice Daddy," she said.

Selina watched them for a second and then said, "Maybe I should go check on Gregory." Elijah nodded and Selina walked to Gregory's half open door, knocking softly. "Gregory, it's Mommy. May I come in?"

"Okay," Gregory said. "Come in, Mommy."

Selina went inside and Gregory looked at her. "Laura hugs too much."

Selina smiled. "Well, if that's the worst problem you have with her, it's not so bad. Maybe you'll like her better once you've been around her longer. Cause she's really not much different than me, and you like me, don't you?"

Gregory nodded. "Yes, you're my mommy!" He came over, hugged her and kissed her cheek. "I love you, Mommy."

Selina grinned. "I love you too. What's different between when I hug you and when Laura wants to hug you?"

Gregory shrugged. "I don't know."

There was another knock at the door and Elijah came in with Laura. "Is everything all right in here?" He asked.

Selina nodded. "Yes, I think we're fine." Then, she lightly nudged Gregory toward his sister. He walked toward Laura, swallowed, and then hesitantly put his arms around her in a brief hug.

"Look!" Selina said to Elijah. "They're like mini versions of us!"

Elijah nodded. "It seems like it." They sighed and stared at one another for a moment before Gregory walked over to Elijah, took his hand and the two of them walked away, presumably to the library.

"Well, how do you like that?" Selina asked Laura as she crawled into her lap. "Our first sober, civil conversation in I don't know how long. This is progress."

* * *

The next morning, Selina woke up before everyone else and decided to surprise them by making pancakes, bacon and eggs. Just as she was finishing up, she heard Elijah's voice behind her. "Good morning," he said. "Did you sleep well?"

She turned around and gasped. He wasn't wearing a shirt! Or pants for that matter. Just his boxers. She knew she was staring, but she couldn't help herself.

"See anything you like?" Elijah asked, his eyebrow raised.

Selina grabbed a handful of bacon, stuffed it in her mouth and shook her head. "No," she said.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Elijah reminded her. "It's not attractive." He went to stand near the counter, pouring himself a cup of coffee, his back to her. She watched his butt and let out a little whimper. He then took a few sips of coffee and looked at the plates of breakfast she'd prepared. "Are those for us?" He asked her. "They smell wonderful." He reached out for one, but Selina snatched it up and took it away, along with the other three, which she put on a trolley and wheeled away.

"Hey!" Elijah called after her. "I think you have our breakfast!"

"No," Selina called. "This is _my_ breakfast. If you and the kids want something other than blood, you'll have to make it yourselves."

By the time she reached her spare room with the trolley, she was breathing hard. She sat down and finished off her first plate of breakfast, then the second, third, and fourth. By the time the dishes were bare, she had to hoist herself up using the bed as a support. She wheeled the trolley back into the kitchen, trying to be as conspicuous as possible. But as she was picking up the pile of plates to put on the counter, she felt a violent thump from her stomach that sent the dishes and silverware clattering to the floor.

"Oh, my god!" Elijah said, running over to put a supporting hand on her arm. "What happened? Are you all right?"

Selina nodded. "Yes, thank you. I'm fine. It was just the baby kicking. It's gonna be a strong one, I think."

"Here, come sit down," Elijah said, helping her to a chair. "I'll clean up the dishes."

"Oh, well thanks," Selina said. She stayed sitting as Elijah went to pick the dishes up off the floor. "All four plates are empty!" He said. "Did you eat _everything_?"

"Well, yeah!" Selina said. "I mean, waste not, want not, right?"

Elijah came over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right? If something's wrong, it's okay to tell me."

Selina shook her head. "No, no problem. I'm fine. I was just hungry this morning. That's all." She cleared her throat and headed back to her room to shower and dress.

When she got back downstairs, Elijah and the kids were dressed as well. Elijah sat with his arms folded on the table and Gregory and Laura were on either side of him drinking blood from sippy cups.

"What happened here?" Selina asked, watching Gregory especially. He was having trouble meeting her eyes. He also had cupcake frosting all over his face.

"You may not believe this," Elijah told her, "But a skirmish broke out. Laura got hold of one of your cupcakes and wanted to give Gregory a bite, but her aim was off and she ended up just smashing it into his face instead."

Selina looked at Gregory again, his sour expression making her smile. She tried her hardest not to laugh, but finally she had no choice but to burst into giggles. A few seconds later, Laura joined in.

"It's not funny, Mommy!" Gregory stood up, his expression dark, his hands on his hips. But this just made her laugh harder. Finally, he let out a sigh and stomped off.

"Oh, my god," Selina said when she could finally get her breath. "I know I shouldn't have laughed, but he had frosting in his hair and all over his face and I think some went up his nose too!" She wiped her eyes and shook her head. "I'll go help him get cleaned up."

"No," Elijah said. "I'll do that. You stay here with Laura."

Selina nodded and Elijah ran some water over a washcloth and headed off to Gregory's room. He knocked and after a minute or two, Gregory let him inside.

"Why did Mommy laugh at me?" he asked Elijah. "Why didn't she say that Laura was in trouble?"

"Come here," Elijah said, and slowly began wiping the frosting off Gregory's face. Once he was clean, Elijah continued. "Gregory, Laura is just a little girl, not even two years old yet. Even if your mother _did _say Laura was in trouble, I doubt she'd understand that what she did was a bad thing. She thought she was trying to do something nice for you."

"Making somebody messy is _not_ nice!" Gregory said. "It's a very bad thing to do! Laura is bad!"

Elijah shook his head. "Laura isn't bad. She's just like your mother. They might drive us crazy sometimes, but they mean well, and maybe if _we_ relaxed just a little bit..."

Fortunately, the phone rang at that point, sparing him from having to delve into this revelation any further. He went to answer it, freezing when he heard who was on the other end of the line. "Antonia!" He said. "What? Of course you can come over for dinner. I'm sure Selina wouldn't mind at all." He looked over and saw Selina glowering at him. "Yes," Elijah said. "It will be no trouble. All right. See you next week." He hung up the phone as Selina pulled a bag of cookies out from the cupboard and began eating them.

"Did you hear that?" Elijah asked. "Antonia's coming to dinner next week. She said she wants to get to know you better."

Selina swallowed. "Well, all right," she said. "Would you mind if I brought a friend too?" Elijah shrugged. "Of course. Why not?"

* * *

"Well, this just sucks!" Selina said the second Stefan opened the door. He looked at her and said, "I can't believe you're pregnant again. There are other hobbies out there besides just having sex, you know."

"And I can't believe you've said that every time I've stopped by for the last four months," Selina said. "It happened. Deal with it."

"Oh, is Selina here?" Anna asked as she came into the room. "Excellent."

"It's good we're friends again," Selina told her. "Because I don't think I'd be able to handle what is about to befall me by myself. Would you help me?"

"Sure," Anna nodded and sat down next to her. "What is it?"

"Elijah invited this stupid friend of his to dinner next week," Selina said. "He'll expect me to be nice to her and I don't know if I'll be able to do it. She's some big fancy doctor whose father cured the plague or something."

Anna's face automatically twisted. "Oh, god. Not Antonia!"

"Yes!" Selina said. "Antonia! Do you hate her too?"

Anna scoffed. "Do I ever! She is such a snob, you know that? You would think we'd like a woman whose battle cry was something other than 'Why aren't you married?' But really, Antonia's just as bad. She's all 'look at me. My father cured the plague. I'm so much better than you!' Why Elijah turned her, I have no idea!"

"Wait, what?" Selina asked. "He_ turned _her? Why would he want to do that?"

Anna shrugged. "I don't know, but he's obviously realized his mistake, which is why he's with you now. You're _much_ more fun than Antonia ever was."

Selina nodded. "Well, I don't doubt that. Anyway, Elijah invited her to come to dinner next week and he said I could bring a friend too. Will you come with me? Please? It will make it easier to behave myself if you're there. Stefan can even come too." She gave Stefan a look. "Would you be up for that?"

"Well, gee," Stefan told her. "As exciting as a dinner with the most boring woman in the world sounds, I think I'll have to pass. Nik and I have a project going that will not be done by next week."

"And what is that exactly?" Anna asked. "You and he are always skulking around and being secretive. What's going on?"

"I will tell you when the time is right," Stefan said. "And now is not the time. There are still some things that need to happen before either of us tell you. And don't try to ask him because he won't tell you either."

Anna and Selina looked at one another and rolled their eyes as Stefan left the house. "So," Anna said once he was gone. "What do you suppose they're up to?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know, but I bet they're having more fun than we are. So will you come next week? Please?"

"Fine," Anna said. "But you are gonna owe me big time later. Just remember that."

* * *

The night of the dinner with Antonia, Selina was putting chicken in the oven and eating ice cream straight from the carton when Elijah came into the kitchen, back from dropping Laura and Gregory off at their grandparents. "How can you be eating ice cream?" He asked her. "We're about to have dinner!"

"I know!" Selina said. "I'm just hungry and the chicken's not done yet."

Elijah sighed. "I've barely seen you without food in your mouth since we got back last week and I want to know why. Don't just keep telling me you're hungry because that's not the reason."

"Fine," Selina said. "I'll tell you the reason, but you aren't gonna like it."

"I don't care," Elijah said, crossing his arms. "Please just tell me."

"Well, it's your fault!" Selina burst out. "Ever since I came back here, I have been doing my darnedest not to push you about the two of us having sex because I know how you like to be the one to initiate that stuff, but the fact is, I am at the part of my pregnancy where I am just really horny all the time and since I can't get rid of the feeling by having sex with you, eating us out of house and home is the only other option!"

"So let me get this straight," Elijah said. "If we have sex, you'll stop eating?"

Selina nodded. "Yep. But I wouldn't want to force you to do anything you'd find unpleasant."

"Did I _say_ I would find it unpleasant?" Elijah asked. "Do not put words in my mouth, please."

"Well how else would you feel about it? Since I'm so fat and everything. And a bad person." She eyed him reproachfully. Just then, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Elijah said. "Although I don't know who could be arriving so early. We'll continue this discussion after dinner."

Selina nodded and Elijah left to get the door. "Anna!" He said when he opened it. "What brings you here?"

"Selina said you told her she could bring a friend and she invited me," Anna replied, handing Elijah a bottle of wine. "Wasn't that thoughtful of her?"

"Yes," Elijah said. "I suppose." He left Anna in the hallway and went back to Selina. "You invited Anna as your guest? Why did you do that?"

"Well, why not?" Selina asked. "I didn't think you would mind. After all, she _is_ your sister."

"I suppose since she's already here, it would be impolite for me to send her away, but like you, she was never really fond of Antonia. In spite of that, Antonia is a friend of mine, and I expect the two of you to behave yourselves."

"What's going on in here?" Anna asked.

"Oh, Elijah was just saying that we need to behave ourselves around Antonia," Selina said.

"That's right," Elijah nodded.

"So you mean, if she says something that is downright horrible, we're supposed to just sit there and take it?" Anna asked. "That's not exactly fair to us, is it?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I refuse to be insulted in my own house, even if it_ is _by a friend of yours."

"If she says something that you find distasteful, prove her wrong," Elijah said. "I know the two of you are intelligent young women and can do that. Be part of the solution, not the problem."

Anna and Selina exchanged a long look and went to the kitchen, where, when it was time, they took the chicken out of the oven and arranged the side dishes on the table. As Selina put the last fork in place, the doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it," Elijah said. "You two sit down and don't say a word."

Anna and Selina looked at one another, rolled their eyes, and sat on opposite sides of the table.

Elijah opened the door and Antonia started a little when she saw him. "Oh, it's you," she said. "I was kind of hoping someone else would answer the door."

"Who?" Elijah asked.

Antonia held a copy of Selina's book up. "I feel so stupid for not noticing before, but did you know that you're married to Serena Novak?"

"No." Elijah said immediately. Then "Who? What?"

"Can I come in or what?" Antonia asked.

"Of course," Elijah said. "I'm sorry. Come in. Now, who is this person you're talking about? Because there's no one by that name here." Antonia strode into the dining room and when she saw Selina, her eyes widened. "Oh, my god. It _is_ you! I'm sorry if I made a bad first impression, but that's why I wanted to have this dinner. I wanted to make it up to you."

"What do you mean?" Selina asked. "I mean, it's nice that you want to have a fresh start. I suppose that last time we met, I said and did some things that didn't put me in the best light either, so I forgive you."

"Really?" Antonia asked. "Because honestly, you are my heroine. You have helped me live a very fulfilling life."

"I did?" Selina asked. "How exactly did I do that?"

"Your book!" Antonia said, holding up her battered copy of_ How To Be Sexy, Successful and Single_. "It's like my bible. I haven't gone a single day without reading it since it was published."

"Oh, my god," Selina said, taking it gently. "I can't believe you still have your copy. Frankly, I've gotten rid of all of mine. And I wish I could get rid of the memory of writing this, too."

"Why?" Antonia asked.

"Stand up," Anna said to Selina. Selina did so and Anna said, "Antonia, look at her. She's pregnant. Not to mention married to my brother. Not exactly following the rules of the book anymore, is she?"

"I don't understand," Antonia said, looking confused. "What changed? Why would you relegate yourself to the role of housewife when you could be so much more?"

"I'll explain it to you after dinner, I promise," Selina said. "It is a discussion that will take some time. All I will say now is that through the years, I've done a lot of soul-searching and discovered, after making a lot of mistakes that this is how I'm happiest."

Antonia sighed, looking disappointed. "Well, all right. I can't wait to hear the rest of your explanation after dinner."

A few minutes later, Elijah came into the dining room and they ate in silence, except for a couple fruitless attempts at banal chitchat. After the dishes were cleared away, Selina stood up first. "Elijah, Antonia and I will be in the library. Are you going to go to your office?"

"I suppose so if you and Antonia will be otherwise occupied," Elijah said and left. "I'll go and watch some television," Anna said. "Unless of course, you need me for backup."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I think we'll be fine."

Elijah watched Selina's earnest face for a moment and said, "All right. But I might check up on you two later."

* * *

As Elijah was walking down the hall to his office from the bathroom an hour or so later, he heard the faint sound of a voice coming from the library. The door to it was slightly ajar. He stood next to it and listened.

"...I suggest you burn that book," Selina said. "It's not a way to live your life! I wrote it when I was miserable and lonely and thought I could make myself feel better if every other woman on the planet was miserable and lonely too. But that didn't help. I learned it quick enough. What helps is sucking it up and letting yourself love someone, trusting that they'll love you back. Like I do with Elijah. I love him with all my heart, and I didn't realize it until I had to be away from him for so long. Yes, I know I might not have a degree in medicine or math or whatever, but you know what? I have a great husband, great kids, a great business, and even though I've had to compromise to get those things, I'm happier than I've ever been. And I hope that at some point, you'll realize what I did, Antonia, and then, trust me on this, you will be happier. I promise."

Elijah was holding onto the doorknob tightly and grinning to himself. As Selina left the library, she bumped into him. "Oh, sorry," she said. She watched him grin at her. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yes," he nodded, pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

"Wow!" She said. "What was that for?"

"I love you," he said. "But really, I don't think I should need a reason to kiss you. Do you?"

She laughed. "No, I guess not." Just then, the library door opened and Antonia stumbled out looking shell-shocked.

"Are you all right?" Elijah asked her, stepping away from Selina to put a hand on Antonia's arm. "Did Selina do something to you?"

"No," Antonia said dazedly. "I just need to go home now and re-evaluate my entire life. Excuse me, Elijah. Good night, and thank you for a lovely evening."

Once she was gone, Elijah looked at Selina again. "What are you looking at me like that for?" Selina asked. "I swear I didn't do anything to her. And you were standing outside the door so you _know_ I didn't say anything bad."

He pulled her to him and kissed her again. "Well, admittedly I didn't hear the first hour of your conversation," he said. "But what I _did_ hear was very nice. Thank you."

She smiled. "You're welcome. I meant every word I said, you know. It wasn't like I knew you were standing outside the door and wanted to impress you."

"Oh, I know," Elijah said. "You would have sounded completely different if that was the case, and I would definitely have known the difference."

"So, remember before dinner when you said we would have some time alone afterwards?" Selina asked. "Are you still up for that?"

Elijah grinned. "Have you ever known me to decline time alone?"

"Well, no," Selina shook her head, leading him to his office, which was closer to the library than their bedroom. "And if you ever _do_ start declining time alone, I will be _very_ worried about you. Just so you know." She shut the door behind them and said, "Would you help me unzip my dress, please?"

"You want to start this now?" Elijah asked. "May I remind you that Anna is still here somewhere?"

"So what?" Selina asked. "She's one of our biggest fans. It's not like she's never walked in on us before. And she probably won't anyway. She said she was gonna watch TV." She began kissing his neck. Then, Elijah reached around her and unzipped her dress, then eased her out of the sleeves and let it fall to a blue puddle at her feet. Then he watched with a grin on his face as she kicked off her shoes, unhooked her bra and began to slip off her panties.

"Wait just a minute," he said. "Stay here. I have to go to do something in our room. Where do you keep the Miss Stinson things?"

Selina grinned. "They're not in our room. They're in here." She pointed. "Under the bed."

Elijah reached under the bed and pulled out a wide cardboard box with no lid. Inside it was a pair of glasses, a pencil, and one of his shirts, on a hanger and neatly laid out so that it wouldn't wrinkle. He handed her the box and she went into the closet, emerging a few minutes later, dressed in shirt, tie, glasses, and a messy bun held in place by a rubber band and the pencil, a grin on her face and shaking her bottom.

"You seem cheerful," Elijah observed as she danced around him.

"Well, why wouldn't I be?" She asked. "We like each other again and we're about to have sex," she took the tie and slid it over him. "Where's the bad part in that?" When he just stood still, watching her, she stopped and said, "Are you gonna take your clothes off and join me, or would you like me to do it for you?"

Elijah grinned and looked her in the eye. "I would like you to do it for me, Miss Stinson."

Selina backed him up against the wall, then stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear in a breathy voice, "Yes, Mr. Richmond, sir." Then she reached down and unbuckled and unzipped his pants, then he kicked them away and turned her around so that she was the one against the wall as he unbuttoned her shirt and kissed her feverishly. When they were both in their underwear, he picked her up and carried her over to the bed, laying her down on it before gently lowering himself onto her. But just as they were getting out of their underwear, they heard a knock on the office door. "I won't come in!" Anna said. "Don't worry about that. I bet you're probably busy. But I just wanted to say that I'm on my way home, so you won't be alarmed when you look for me after you're done and see that I'm not here."

"All right," Elijah called. "Thank you. Goodbye!" They heard Anna's footsteps fade away and then Elijah turned back to Selina. "Now where were we?" They began kissing again and after several loud shrieks from Selina that she was _sure _had aroused the neighbors as much as the two of them, Elijah finally rolled off her. They were both breathing hard.

"Good golly," Selina said when she could finally speak. "I can't believe I thought ice cream and cookies would compensate for what we just did! I must have been delusional."

"Well, possibly," Elijah said, moving her damp hair out of her eyes. "But you're still adorable."

Selina felt herself flush, which was an accomplishment considering how warm and tingly she already felt. "Awww! Well, aren't you sweet?! We need to do this as much as possible before we have our third kid because after it's born, we'll have three kids under five, and thus not a moment's peace."

"Well, then I guess that means I have no choice but to make love to you as much as possible until then," Elijah said.

Selina nodded. "Exactly." She put her head on his shoulder. "No other choice whatsoever."

* * *

While Selina, Elijah and the kids were eating lunch the next day, Anna came in unannounced and strode into the dining room. "Hey," she said, picking up a sandwich from the plate Selina had put at the center of the table. "What's going on?"

"Well, we're eating at the moment," Elijah said. "Why did you come here without calling? Are you hurt? Is there some sort of emergency?"

"Well, yes, actually," Anna said. "Selina, I think I've finally figured out what Nik and Stefan are up to. I am planning to investigate and wondered if you wanted to come along."

Selina nodded and quickly swallowed her sandwich. "Of course I do. Whatever they've got going on, I wouldn't want to miss it for the world!"

"Are you two meddling?" Elijah asked, getting up from the table. "Should I be concerned about this?"

"No!" Both women shook their heads. "Of course not," Anna said. "It's just that Stefan and Nik have been out a lot for awhile now and they won't tell me what they're doing. All I want is to be informed."

"And why does Selina have to come if it's _your_ husband that you're worried about?" Elijah asked. "Why can't you just go alone?"

"Because I'm already involved in this!" Selina said. "She's told me about it and if I don't see how it ends, I'm just gonna _die_! And I owe her for when she came to dinner with Antonia."

"I have to say I don't really like the idea of you getting involved in other people's affairs," Elijah said.

"We're not getting involved," Selina replied. "We're just spying from a safe distance. Once we get the info we need, we'll leave and come right back. They won't even know we were there."

Elijah looked from Selina to Anna, ran his hands through his hair, and sighed. "Nothing I say will dissuade you from this, am I right?"

"Yes," Selina and Anna said at once. "That's right."

"Well, all right," Elijah said. "I will give you an hour to run whatever ridiculous errand you need to, but if you're not back by the time the hour is up, I am going to find you and bring you back myself. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, yes, we understand," Anna said. They left the house and as they pulled away, Selina said, "Do you honestly think we'll be able to find them and get the goods in an hour?"

Anna nodded. "If we speed and then compel all the cops to let us out of tickets, it shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

"So, what did you want to bring me here for?" Kevin asked as he and Stefan and Klaus got out of Stefan's car and walked into a restaurant, taking a seat at a table.

"It's been a year since you've come under our instruction and frankly we think it's time to see payoff," Klaus said. "Today, we're going to find you a nice, pretty girl to bite."

"Do we have to?" Kevin asked nervously. "Why can't we just get bags from the hospital and have that count?"

"Because it's not the same thing!" Klaus said. "You can't honestly tell me you spent all those years at the circus happy with whatever it was they were giving you."

"I admit that what they gave me was awful, but at least I wasn't _killing_ anyone!" Kevin said. "It was good enough for me."

"'Good enough'?" Stefan asked. "All you want is 'good enough'? Don't you want to become the powerful person that you are?"

"No!" Kevin said, feeling uneasy now. "I just...I just want to survive. That's all I want. I don't want power or glory or anything like that. Not if it comes at the expense of innocent people's lives."

Klaus looked at Stefan and rolled his eyes. "I keep forgetting that he's Elijah's boy," he said.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kevin asked. "What do you have against my father?"

"I personally have nothing against your father," Klaus said. "After all, he _is_ my brother. But let's just say your father has a tendency to get noble about killing even though that's what we as vampires are supposed to do."

"Well, if my father is against killing people for sport, shouldn't _he_ be the one teaching me this stuff and not the two of you?" Kevin asked.

"Ideally, yes," Stefan nodded. "But the problem is, your father doesn't know you exist."

"So why can't we go to his house and tell him?" Kevin asked. "You _do_ know where he lives, don't you?"

Klaus nodded. "I do, but have you forgotten everything we've told you about his wife who will most likely kill you if she finds out who you are?"

"Yeah," Stefan added. "Especially now that she's pregnant again. Getting her mad in that condition is _not_ something you want to do..."

"Oh, my god!" Selina whispered to Anna from their hiding place. "Can you believe what they're telling him about me? They're making me out to be some sort of lunatic!"

"Well, can you blame them?" Anna asked. "When it comes to the guys you date or marry, you _don't_ handle surprises well."

"I could have made an exception for this, since Elijah had no idea about Kevin being his kid until now, so it's not like he was hiding him from me. I mean, he hid Elizabeth from me, sure, but we worked that out." Selina replied. "I'm gonna go over to their table and say something."

Anna grabbed her arm. "Don't you dare!" Selina looked at the clock on the wall near them. "We should probably get going. We've already gone over our allotted hour. Elijah will probably be storming the restaurant any minute now."

As if in answer to her comment, the restaurant door opened and Elijah strode in. He stopped next to Stefan and Klaus' table. "I'm looking for Anna and Selina. Have the two of you seen them?"

Klaus shook his head. "No. No, we haven't."

"Wait a minute!" Kevin said. "Didn't you say Selina was the name of-Ow! What the hell did you do that for?" Kevin asked as Stefan stomped down hard on his foot. "Not now!" Stefan hissed.

"Am I interrupting something?" Elijah asked.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Not really. Anyway, to answer your question, we haven't seen Selina or Anna at all. What makes you think that we would have?"

"They were looking for you," Elijah said. "Anna is concerned that the two of you are doing something nefarious."

"No," Stefan shook his head. "We aren't. Kevin here is a bit of a newbie and we're just showing him the ropes, you know. Helping him adjust."

"They want me to kill someone but I don't want to," Kevin said. "I swear."

"Well, that's good to hear," Elijah said. He pulled up a chair and sat on the opposite side of Kevin. "Listen, if you're looking for help from someone who adheres to the type of lifestyle you'd like to have, I'd be more than happy to advise you."

"I would like that," Kevin said. "I really would."

"I'd advise against that," Klaus said.

"Why is that, Niklaus?" Elijah asked him. "Give me one good reason."

"This is Kevin," Klaus said. "Your son with Elizabeth. Kevin, this is Elijah, your father. Now, Elijah, tell me how well you think Selina will take having your illegitimate son in her house."

Elijah looked back and forth between Klaus, Stefan, and the boy, Kevin. There were so many things he wanted to say, but couldn't make any of them come out of his mouth. Finally, he reached out a shaky hand to take Kevin's. He grasped it and just held on.


	26. The Engagement

Three months later, Selina decided to take a day off from the bakery and stay home with the kids. While she was giving him his bath, Gregory suddenly stood up, grabbed hold of his penis and looked at her. "Mommy," he asked. "What does this do?"

"Well, what do _you_ think it does?" Selina asked.

Gregory thought for a moment. "It helps me when I go potty. It's where my pee-pee comes out."

Selina nodded. "Yes it is."

Gregory digested this for a moment and then said, "What _else _does it do?"

Selina cleared her throat as Gregory sat back down in the tub and looked at her curiously. "Well, you know how Mommy and Daddy are gonna have another baby soon?"

He nodded.

"Well, penises help make babies. Only when you're a lot older," Selina said. "Boys have penises and girls have vaginas and when mommies and daddies love each other very much, the daddy will put his penis into the mommy's vagina and it will put stuff in the mommy's body that will make her have a baby. It's called sex."

Gregory nodded. "Sex makes babies."

Selina nodded, "Uh-huh. Any other questions?"

Gregory shook his head. "No. Could I tell Daddy what I learned?"

Selina snorted. "Okay," she said. "But make sure you tell me when you do that. I want to see the look on your daddy's face."

* * *

When Elijah got home later that day, Selina looked up at him serenely. "I think Gregory wants to have a talk with you about the interesting conversation we had while he was in the bathtub today. Why don't you go and see him? He's in his room now."

Elijah nodded and when he reached the room, knocked on Gregory's door and went inside. Gregory was sitting on his bed, his feet dangling over the floor. "Hi, Daddy," he said. He looked happy.

"Hi," Elijah said, coming to sit next to him on the bed. "Your mother told me you and she had a talk when you were in the bathtub today."

Gregory nodded. "Boys have penises and girls have vaginas. Sex is where babies come from. Daddy, could I have a baby?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Men can't have babies. Only women. But men help make babies. You should consider yourself lucky that you're a boy. Having a baby is a long and painful process."

Gregory's eyes widened. "The baby is going to hurt Mommy?" He hopped off the bed and ran out of the room. Realizing he might have just said something he shouldn't have, Elijah followed, going into the living room just in time to see Gregory push on Selina's stomach and say, "No, baby! Don't come out! Stay in there!"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Selina said. "Gregory, what is the matter with you?"

"Daddy said having the baby would hurt you and I don't want you to be hurted," Gregory explained.

Selina saw Elijah and glared at him. Then she turned back to Gregory. "Don't worry, sweetie," she said. "It's a long time before the baby comes, okay? And it's gonna hurt a little, but I'll be fine."

"Exactly," Elijah said, coming up beside them. "Gregory, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like when your mother and I were children. Women rarely die in childbirth anymore."

At that point, Gregory burst into tears. "Mommy's gonna _die_?" He wailed, and then ran back to his room. Selina pushed herself up and gave Elijah a look. "You know, I can't say a lot for your bedside manner."

"I just thought that it would be best to be honest with him," Elijah said. "You know, like you were."

"My honesty is different from your honesty," Selina said. "In my case, he was curious about what his penis did, so I told him and that turned into a conversation which I was very comfortable having. Your honesty is completely unnecessary. The kid is three years old. He doesn't need to think that I'm going to die! This will be my eighth time going through this, and you've freaked him out for no reason. I hope you're proud of yourself. I'm gonna go now and see if I can calm him down."

After Selina managed to get Gregory calmed down, she went back to her and Elijah's room.

"He's better," she said when she walked through the door and Elijah looked up at her. "At least he's not crying anymore." She sat down next to Elijah and looked him in the eye. "But you know what you're gonna do?" She asked. "You're gonna go in there and tell him that there's no way I'm gonna die, all right? Maybe highlight the great things about being a big brother. I don't care about specifics, just cheer him up!"

"Why can't you do it?" Elijah asked. "You're so much better with him than I am."

Selina nodded. "Well, that much is obvious, but you won't get better unless you practice. You want to get better, don't you? Especially since we're having another boy, which I'm kind of glad about."

"Really?" Elijah asked. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Well, think about it," Selina said. "I _know_ you're going to kick up a big fuss when Laura reaches dating age and I only want to have to go through that once."

"Oh, don't be silly," Elijah said. "It won't be like that at all."

"Why not?" Selina asked.

"Because," Elijah said, "Laura will not be seeing any boys until I say. That's why not." Selina burst into giggles. "Oh, good luck with that," she said. "Good. Luck. With. That."

Once she was gone, Elijah went to cuddle with Laura and said to himself, "At least I won't have to sit through any more awkward conversations. I've already gotten through the worst. At least for awhile."

* * *

"Hey," Lucy said, grabbing Damon around his waist as he made his way to the door the next day. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Elijah," Damon replied. "To ask him if it's okay to marry you. Cause it's almost your birthday and I remember what you told me."

"Why does it matter if you ask him?" Lucy asked. "It would be a lot easier if you didn't. All you're doing is making it easier for him to say no." She let him go, looking sad.

He kissed her. "Oh, come on," he said. "I _love_ you. Do you honestly think I'll skip marrying you because your uncle is against it? What I'm doing now is just a formality. They won't be able to say I wasn't courteous before we got married."

Lucy sighed. "Well, all right," she said. "If you're sure this is the right thing to do, I'm not gonna stand in your way. Only, promise me you'll be careful. I don't want to be a widow before I even have the chance to get married."

"Don't worry about it," Damon said. "Everything will be fine."

"Damon," Selina said when she opened the front door. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Damon was trying not to stare at her, but he couldn't help it. She was huge. "Are you having twins again?" He asked.

"No, you smartass!" Selina said. "I'm just gonna have a boy who's bigger than usual. What brings you here?"

"I need to talk to you and Elijah," Damon told her, stepping inside. "Is he here?"

"Why do you need to talk to him?" Selina asked. "Is it really necessary?"

"Yes," Damon nodded. "Lucy and I want to get married now and I thought the process would be smoother if I asked his and Klaus' permission first."

"Oh, my god," Selina said, sitting down. "You're not serious."

"About marrying Lucy? Or about asking Elijah and Klaus for permission?" Damon asked. "Of course I am. After all those pictures she painted of me and put up at her show, the least I can do is make an honest woman out of her." He sat down and gave her a look. "You want to protest too, don't you?"

"What?" Selina asked him, suddenly finding the remark she was going to make about how ballsy he was somewhat inappropriate.

"You want to protest too, about me marrying Lucy," Damon said. "Go ahead and spill your guts."

"Well, I obviously can do nothing to stop it since Lucy's a grown-up now and you two have made up your minds, but I can't let this go one without pointing out at least once that I'm giving my former husband the and father of two of my children permission to marry my daughter by another one of my husbands and it just feels really, really weird!"

"Well, you had to have seen this coming," Damon said. "You didn't exactly have the most conventional love life up until now."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I haven't."

"Why are you having such a problem with this?" Damon asked. "You and I are over. We've moved on. Yeah, we had this same chance once and we missed it, but maybe that's a sign."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "It was a sign. So you just go on and marry Lucy and have a nice life."

Just then, they heard someone clear their throat. "What brings you by, Damon?" Elijah asked.

"He and Lucy are thinking about getting married and want to ask your permission first," Selina said. "Isn't that polite of them?" She went over to stand behind him, rubbing his shoulders to keep him calm.

"Yes," Elijah said. "I suppose it is. In a way."

"Yeah, I mean, if he were truly a weasel, they would have eloped or something, but he's being brave enough to give you a chance to say 'no'," Selina said.

Elijah sighed. "I'm not happy about this," he said. "But I'm not foolish enough to assume that if I tell you you can't marry her, you'll actually listen to me, so I will say 'Thank you' for at least paying me the minimum of courtesy before you took my niece away from me and leave it at that." He reached up, moved Selina's hands from his shoulders, and strode out of the room.

Once he was gone, Selina turned back to Damon. "Well, that went better than I thought it would," she said.

Damon nodded. "Yeah. I should probably be getting home now that I have my answer so Lucy doesn't think that I'm dead. She was really worried about that, you know."

"I can see why," Selina agreed. "I'll walk you to the door if you do one thing for me first."

"What's that?" Damon asked with a grin. "Do you need help hauling yourself off the sofa?"

"You know, you're pretty ballsy talking like that to a pregnant woman," Selina said.

"Yes, or no?" Damon replied, looking unshaken. "Do you need help getting off the sofa?"

"Yes," Selina sighed, giving him her hand. He hauled her up and she walked him to the door and told him goodbye, then she went to Elijah's study.

"Damon's gone," Selina said when she went in. "You can come out now."

"I don't know if I want to," Elijah said.

Selina sighed and began rubbing his shoulders. "You know, you handled yourself very well out there. I'm so proud of you."

Finally he turned to face her. "Really? You handled finding out about Kevin pretty well. You even let him move in here. So being civil to Damon was the least I could do."

Selina nodded. "Uh-huh. I bet Nicky's not gonna handle things half as well as you did."

* * *

"Where are you going?" Lucy asked Damon the next day. "Are you gonna ask my dad if you can marry me now?"

"Yes," he said.

Lucy followed him as he strode toward the door. "Do you really have to do this? You know you don't, right? We can just elope. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

With his hand on the doorknob, Damon turned to look at her. "When you and I got together, we didn't tell your parents about it. Your father and your uncle beat me up. If I tell them that I want to marry you and they _still_ beat me up, at least I'll know that I wasn't hiding anything from them this time. I am not ashamed of us, Lucy. I'm not gonna run off and elope just so we can avoid things that are unpleasant. I'm going to ask your father for your hand so everyone can know that I love you. And don't worry. I called Roxie last night. She'll help me managed your father. I won't be handling this alone."

"Well, that's nice, but-" Lucy didn't get to finish as Damon shut the door behind him, cutting her off. He got in his car and drove to Klaus'. He saw another car in the driveway and when he knocked on the door, it was Roxie who answered it. "Hi," she said. "You ready to face the Spanish Inquisition?"

"Thanks for coming," Damon said. "I thought this would go easier if I had some help."

Roxie nodded. "If you handled this alone, you wouldn't last two seconds." She led him into the living room where Klaus and Caroline were sitting next to each other on a sofa looking somber.

Roxie and Damon sat on the opposite sofa. Finally, Roxie said, "I think we know why we're all here. Let's get this over with. Damon, say what you came to say."

Damon cleared his throat and looked Klaus in the eye. "I love Lucy very much and I came here to ask for your permission to marry her," he said.

"And just what makes you think that I will allow you to marry my daughter?" Klaus asked.

Damon looked at Roxie, who nodded encouragingly. "Well," Damon said, trying to keep his voice steady, "I love her very much and I can't imagine my life without her."

"Those are pretty words," Caroline said quietly. "How do we know you're not just saying them to impress us? Who knows what kind of crap you're going to pull later."

Roxie's eyes narrowed. "Listen, you," she said to Caroline. "This man loves Lucy, all right? The whole reason why she's even still alive is because he took a werewolf bite for her! She loves him so much that she came to Dad begging for the one thing that would save him. If he didn't give a damn about her, would he have put his life in mortal peril to save hers? You should let him marry her for that alone."

"I repaid the debt incurred for saving Lucy when I gave him my blood," Klaus told her. "He's going to have to do better than that."

"I helped Selina raise her," Damon said, his voice shaking. "When you were off doing who knows what, letting your marriage to Selina fall apart, they stayed with_ me_. I was the first guy she ever connected with and loved and over the years that hasn't changed one bit. So you can sit here and tell me that I'm not worthy by whatever standards you have, but the point is, I came here to ask your permission as a courtesy. It doesn't matter to me whether or not you think I love Lucy because I know I do, and she knows I do, she loves me too, and you know what? Frankly, that's really all I give a damn about."

And with that, he got up and strode out of the house before Caroline or Klaus could say another word.

As Klaus and Caroline sat there with their mouths opening and closing in shock, Roxie looked at them and said, "See? I _told_ you he wasn't afraid of you."

* * *

"Oh, my god!" Lucy said, throwing herself into his arms when Damon came through the door. "You're here! I'm so glad you're not dead! Are you hurt? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No," Damon shook his head, feeling her squeeze him tighter and tighter. "Sweetie, could you let me go for a second? You're making it very difficult for me to breathe."

"Oh," Lucy said, letting him go and flushing a little. "Okay. I'm sorry. I'm just so glad you're not hurt or dead or-"

"What other 'or' could there possibly be?" Damon asked. "I can't think of anything you'd worry about more than me being dead."

"And that's not something I _want_ to think about, thank you very much," Lucy said. "So since you've asked Dad and Uncle Elijah for their permission, does that mean we can get married now?"

"Well, yeah," Damon said. "I guess. But I have to do one more thing first."

"Oh, no!" Lucy said, looking worried. "What?"

He looked her in the eye and got down on his knee, taking a box out of his pocket. "Lucy, will you marry me?"

"Oh, my god, yes!" Lucy said. And then she burst into giggles. "How silly am I, really?" She asked when she got her breath. "How could I forget that you haven't actually proposed to me yet?"

Damon shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's cause you worry too much. You need to _relax._"

"Well can you blame me for worrying?" Lucy asked him. "Dad and Uncle Elijah could kill you if they want to! By the way, how did they both take it? You never told me."

"Well," Damon said, "You're mother was a little freaked out, but resigned to it, your uncle was displeased but agreed anyway, and your father and Caroline are still against it, but Roxie will talk them into it, I have a feeling. Everything is gonna be all right."

Lucy nodded as he slipped the ring on her finger. Then, she shut her eyes. "What about Sam?" She asked.

"What _about_ Sam?" Damon said.

"Well, shouldn't we tell him we're getting married?" Lucy asked. "Don't you think he should know?"

Damon went over to the sofa, sat down and ran his fingers through his hair. "No," he said finally. "I don't think he should know. I think we should just leave it alone with him. The whole reason why he stopped talking to me was because of our relationship. It clearly makes him uncomfortable, so I think it would be kindest to spare him the details."

Lucy nodded. "I guess you're right. It would be kindest to spare him the details."

But that night, after Damon had gone to sleep, she wrote him a note anyway. Just a short one, without much information in it. Just telling Sam that she and Damon were getting married and that she hoped his tour was successful. She put it in an envelope and hid it where Damon wouldn't find it before going back to bed. She would mail it tomorrow.

* * *

"What is that?" Adrian asked when Lucy arrived at his and Helene's house the next day. "What's that on your finger?"

"It's a ring," Lucy said, moving it around in the light. "What does it look like?"

"From whom did you get it?" Adrian asked. "Do I know them?"

"You better," Lucy replied. "Seeing as he's the one that watches your daughter every day."

Adrian nodded. "That's what I thought. Why didn't he ask me before he went and decided he wanted to marry you? That would have been polite."

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "He asked Uncle Elijah and he asked Dad. That is enough. You just have to deal with it."

Adrian was looking mutinous. He turned and yelled for Helene.

"What is it, my god!" Helene said. "What's the problem?"

"Damon is marrying Lucy and he didn't even have the courtesy to ask me first!" Adrian said. "Can you believe that, Helene?"

"I can," she nodded. "Adrian, you are Lucy's brother. Even the most strict protocols do not require the fiance to ask every male in a woman's family for permission to marry her. So just lighten up, will you? You'll have your chance to terrify innocent young men when Lenora starts to date."

"You're not funny," Adrian said.

"Are you going now, Daddy and Mommy?" Lenora asked. She looked eager. Then when she saw Lucy, he face fell a bit. "Where's Damon?" She asked. "Didn't he come?"

"He'll be here in a little while," Lucy said.

"Okay," Lenora nodded. Then her eyes widened as she noticed Lucy's ring. "What's _that?_" She asked, snatching up Lucy's hand. "It's so _pretty!" _She turned to her father. "I want a pretty ring like Aunt Lucy's, with a big shiny diamond in it!"

"No," Adrian said immediately. "You're way too young."

"Why?" Lenora asked. "It's just a ring!"

"No, it's not!" Adrian said. "It's not just a ring, you're not getting one, and that's that!" He looked at Lenora. "Can we just _go, _please?"

"We can't," Helene shook her head. "Not until Damon gets here so we can ask him and Lucy about the thing."

"Do we _really_ have to ask him about that?" Adrian replied. "Why can't we ask your parents to watch Lenora while we chase that crazy relative of yours around the country and bring him back? And why do _we_ have to do that, anyway?"

"Because it's part of Mom's new job as a member of the witches' council," Helene said patiently. "Once criminals receive their sentences, they have to be watched over. And usually it's the council members' job, but Dad is allergic to cats, so Mom can't have any in the house. She asked me if I would mind taking the guy in and I said no, I wouldn't mind. It's not like we don't know how to handle animals, Adrian."

"We're getting another pet?" Lenora asked. "Can I make him play with Rusty and Snowball?"

"Oh, sure," Adrian nodded. "That would probably be a better punishment than anything the council could come up with."

"What is he talking about?" Lenora asked Helene.

"Well," Helene told her, "Mommy and Daddy have to go on an errand for Grandma Astrid and we'll be gone for awhile. When we come back, we're going to have a kitty with us."

"But he's not _actually_ a kitty," Adrian said. "He's a warlock who did a lot of bad things, so the witch council is turning him into a kitty as punishment."

"I thought they did other stuff when you broke the magical rules," Lucy said. "Like, Helene got killed and Alistair got stuck working for Dad, and Astrid's family got their powers taken away..."

"Oh, those were _big_ crimes that broke the cardinal rules," Helene said. "Duke just committed a minor infraction, but then he went on the run for years, so that's why they decided to turn him into a cat. He's a flight risk and this is the best way to ensure someone will be watching over him at all times."

"Oh," Lucy nodded. "He sounds like a great guy." She rolled her eyes. Just then, Damon walked in. "Sorry I'm late," he said. "My car was having some trouble. What did I miss?"

"Daddy's mad because you gave Aunt Lucy a ring and he and Mommy are going on a trip for Grandma Astrid to get me another kitty!" Lenora told him.

Damon turned to Helene. "You want to get her another pet? That's brave of you."

"Actually, he's not gonna be so much a pet as a prisoner," Adrian said. "He's a warlock criminal and thanks to Helene, we have to watch him to make sure he doesn't try and run away again."

"But first we have to go and get him, and that's gonna take awhile," Helene said. "So would the two of you mind watching Lenora while we're gone? Or would it be too much of an inconvenience?"

"No," Lucy shook her head. "That's fine."

"Thanks," Helene said. "You're a couple of lifesavers."

"When is that gonna be?" Damon asked. "Are you leaving today?"

"No," Helene shook her head. "Sometime next week. Is that a problem? Will it interfere with your wedding plans?"

Lucy shrugged. "No. We haven't set a date or anything. We'll just get married after you get back. It's no problem."

"Good," Helene said. "Thanks again. "We'll be out with my mom for the rest of the day sorting this whole mess out and should be back tonight. See the three of you then." She gave Lenora one last kiss on the cheek and then she and Adrian left.

"I thought they'd never leave!" Lenora said. She looked at Lucy with excitement. "Can I see your ring again?"

"Sure," Lucy nodded. "Why not?" They went into the living room and she showed her.

"Can I try it on?" Lenora asked. "Please?"

Lucy covered it possessively. "No, I'm sorry," she said. "I think it's too big for your finger and we wouldn't want it to fall off and get lost, now would we?"

Lenora looked sad. "I guess not." She looked at Damon. "I wanna see you ask her to marry you!" she said. "Please, please, please!"

"Okay, okay," Damon said. "We'll show you!"

"Just a minute!" Lenora said. She went to her room and came back with Rusty and Snowball. "They should see this too," she said. She lay them down on either side of her and then they all watched Damon and Lucy intently.

"Well, gee this is hard to do with an audience," Damon said. Lucy gave him her ring and then they replayed the proposal over again and after they were done, Lenora looked underwhelmed. "That's it? I thought it would be more_ romantic_!"

"Well, I thought it was," Lucy said and gave Damon a quick kiss. Then she looked at Lenora again. "Were you expecting flowers and doves and stuff?"

Lenora shrugged. "I don't know. Are you gonna have them when you get married?"

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so, though. I don't want anything too big."

"_I_ kind of do," Damon said.

"Me too!" Lenora agreed. "Aunt Lucy, you could be a _princess_!"

Lucy sighed. "I suppose we could have more than one ceremony. That wouldn't be so bad."

"Yay!" Lenora cheered. "Aunt Lucy's gonna be a princess!"

Damon just looked up at Lucy and grinned, kissing her hand. "I think she already is one."

* * *

"This came for you," Corrie said, tossing the letter down on Sam's bed. "It's from your sister." Sam got up from the chair he was sitting in and went to the bed to pick up the envelope. "You didn't open it."

"Of course not," Corrie said. "That wouldn't be polite."

Sam grabbed a letter opener, used it, and took the paper out, reading it slowly.

_"Dear Sam,_

_Damon proposed and he and I are getting married soon. He didn't want me to tell you, but I thought I would anyway. I don't expect you to come back for the wedding, or even to reply to this note. I just couldn't let this go by without telling you anything. I hope your tour is going well and that you're having a good time._

_All my love, _

_Lucy."_

Sam looked up at Corrie. "My dad and my sister are getting married."

Corrie nodded. "I heard. Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "I will be, eventually. I'm going out, but I promise I'll be back in time for the concert tonight."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Corrie asked. "Cause I will. It wouldn't be any trouble."

Sam shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks. See you tonight."


	27. Nuptial Doom

Selina was working the counter at the bakery when Caroline strode in and went right up to her. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" She asked angrily.

Selina gave her a look. "You'll have to give me more of an explanation because I have no idea what you're talking about," she said. "What do I have to say for myself about what?"

Caroline growled. "You know perfectly well what!" Caroline said. "You and Klaus! First you tell me that the two of you have completely separated so it's all right for me to pursue a relationship with him and then you go and fuck him behind my back! And now all he talks about it you! He doesn't pay attention to me anymore and it's all your fault! So you go right down to our house and you tell him to start paying attention to me!"

Selina shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "But I can't. This is between you and Klaus. I don't think I should get involved. It might make things worse if I do."

"Why is that?" Caroline asked. "I think you're just making stuff up so you don't have to face the consequences of your actions!"

Selina sighed. "No, not really. Caroline, listen to me, all right? Klaus and I had one of the most screwed up relationships you can imagine. What brought us together was the fact that I was a psycho murderer with no conscience. I killed without a bit of remorse. Hell, I even _enjoyed_ it. We weren't in love when we first met, not really. Our relationship was purely sexual. And even after the second time around, when he turned into a hybrid and I turned into a hybrid and we made our three little babies, we weren't really a couple who was in love, even if it felt like it sometimes. We were more like friends with lots and_ lots _of benefits. He told me right from the start that the whole reason we were attracted to each other was because our werewolf sides chose us for each other, animal instinct, you know? Lousy excuse and I've been repressing it, but Klaus, it seems, hasn't been trying so hard. And I probably didn't help things when I did what I did, so I'm sorry. I'll talk to Elijah about what's going on and maybe he'll be able to talk some sense into his brother. Does that make you feel better?"

Caroline nodded. "Thank you," she said. "It's a start." She looked at the bakery case. "Can I have a blueberry muffin, please?"

* * *

"We have a problem," Selina said after she knocked on the door and strode into Elijah's office, putting her hands on his desk and staring at him. He as much as threw down the book he was reading and bolted up out of his chair. "Are you all right?" He asked. "Is it something to do with the baby? Do we need to go to the hospital? Get your coat, we'll go to the car and-"

"Calm down," Selina said. "It's nothing to do with the baby, although it's sweet that you're concerned. It has to do with Klaus. Apparently, ever since we did the thing that you and I decided never to speak of again, he's been having trouble paying attention to Caroline. She came to the bakery today and wanted me to go to Klaus to fix it, but I decided that wouldn't be a good idea and I told her I'd ask if you'd talk to Klaus instead and make him see reason. So, can you do it?"

Elijah gave her a small smile. "I can try," he said. Then he got up and came to hug her. "I'm proud of you," he said.

Selina leaned against him. "Why is that?" She asked.

"Because you didn't go straight to see Niklaus even though Caroline asked you to," he said. "I'm sure that whatever is going on between them is something that they can work out themselves after I have a few words with my brother."

"Right," Selina nodded. "Exactly. What goes on between them is none of my business."

Elijah gave her a look. "I know it's hard not being involved since it's in your nature, but you'll see that this is really the best thing for you. I promise."

Selina nodded. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You just go on and go. Tell Klaus I'm awful in bed and stuff so that he won't think about me anymore."

Elijah shook his head. "No. I see no reason to bring that into the conversation. All I'm going to say is that Klaus needs to be with Caroline and that is that. His only option. End of story."

"Do you think that will work?" Selina asked him.

"It better," Elijah said. "Wish me luck."

* * *

"Elijah," Klaus said when opened the door. "Come in. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"This isn't a pleasure trip, Niklaus," Elijah said severely. "Caroline came into the bakery today and told Selina that you're no longer paying attention to her. Is this true?"

Klaus sat down and bowed his head. "Yes," he said. "It's true."

"But why?" Elijah asked, sitting down next to him. "Caroline is perfectly lovely."

"But she's not Selina!" Klaus said. "She doesn't make me feel the same sort of things that Selina does!"

Elijah sighed. "No one will," he said. "But that's the issue: by this point in your life, you should want something _more_ than just a completely hedonistic sexual relationship. You should want to be with someone who can offer you a deep emotional connection as well as a physical one. Don't you and Caroline have that?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "We do. And it's good. But it's not _as _good as, you know."

Elijah nodded. "I do. But the fact of the matter is, the woman Caroline as not as good as is _my_ wife now and we're making good progress turning her life around so that she is actually happy and stable. She will not be showing up at your door at any time to give you a booty call, so you'll just have to adjust. Do you understand me, Niklaus?"

"Yes, yes, I understand," Klaus said, eying Elijah resentfully. "Now that you've made your point, will you go away?"

Elijah stood his ground. "I will once you promise me that you will leave Selina alone and not encourage her to come back to you in any way."

Klaus sighed. "All right," he said. "I won't. But don't blame me if _she_ is the one who comes knocking on _my_ door, big brother."

"Trust me," Elijah said. "That will not happen. Good day, Niklaus." And without waiting for Klaus to respond, he left the house and drove back home.

"So did it work?" Selina asked him eagerly when she met him at the door. "Is he gonna pay more attention to Caroline now?"

Elijah sighed, putting his arms around her. "He told me he would," he said. "And I have to believe that he meant it. Otherwise, getting through Damon and Lucy's wedding is going to be very difficult for him, won't it?"

Selina pulled her head up from Elijah's shoulder and looked up at him. "I don't doubt that. What do _you_ want to do about Lucy and Damon's wedding?" She asked seriously. "Do you want to go, or should we skip it? We'll do whatever you choose."

"Are you telling me you're willing to miss Lucy's wedding on my say so?" Elijah asked her.

"Well, don't act like it's some big sacrifice on my part," Selina said. "I mean, I _love_ Lucy and if she calls me up and says 'Mom, I need you at my wedding', then I'll go, but really, I wouldn't be comfortable. It would stir up too many things that would be counterproductive for me to be thinking of at this point in my life. We should think of something else to do instead. Something to keep our minds off it."

"Like what?" Elijah asked.

Selina shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "When I get an idea, I'll let you know."

* * *

"Hi, Grandma!" Lenora said brightly when she opened the door to Adrian and Helene's the next day. "How are you?"

"Ssssshhhh!" Selina said almost immediately. "Lenora, what did we say about using the 'G' word?"

"That I have to say it quietly," Lenora said.

Selina nodded. "That's right," she said, striding into the house. "So, who's all here? Your mommy and daddy?"

"No," Lenora shook her head. "Just Grandpa Alistair. Mommy and Daddy went to get stuff for their trip."

"Oh?" Selina asked curiously. "What trip?"

"They're gonna go get me a new kitty after Aunt Lucy's wedding," Lenora replied. "Grandma Astrid asked them to."

"Huh," Selina said. "Where _is _Grandpa Alistair?"

"Right here," Alistair said. "I thought I heard your voice, Selina. What do you need?"

"I need some advice," Selina said. "About Lucy's wedding."

"If you're going to need help coping, don't worry. I'll be there watching Klaus and making sure he doesn't make a mess of things and it wouldn't be too much more of a problem to look out for you too," Alistair said.

"Actually," Selina replied, "This is gonna sound horrible, but I think I'm gonna skip it. Having Klaus there is going to make things stressful enough, so I thought I'd give Lucy a break and take Elijah elsewhere so she only has to deal with one set of protests rather than two. Would you say that's a good idea?"

Alistair looked at her. "I say that you should do whatever you think is best," he said. "To say anything else would be presumptuous. Would you like any help from me?"

Selina nodded. "I just, I need some way to get Elijah away from the house. I mean, I've already proposed going away and skipping the wedding and he was open to the idea, but something in me says that the closer we get to the actual wedding date, the more he's gonna feel he needs to be there and list reasons why the couple should not be wed."

Alistair nodded. "I'm afraid I have to agree with you on that. All right. I'll help you get him out of town. And I won't say a word about it to anyone."

"So what are you gonna do?" Selina asked. "Get him drunk a day or so before the wedding, stick him in the car and then the three of us will drive off somewhere while he's asleep?"

Alistair shrugged. "That seems like the most uncomplicated plan. And as for where we'll go, several years ago, like around the time you turned, Klaus and Elijah had a house they used to live at. They haven't used in awhile, but I know where it is We could go there."

"All right," Selina nodded. "But servants? Honestly?"

"I know the idea of being waited on makes you a bit uncomfortable, but given the stage you're at in your pregnancy, wouldn't a little help be welcome?" Alistair asked. "I'm not saying you're not allowed to do anything yourself, but what's the harm in taking advantage of help when it's there?"

Selina sighed. "You have a point," she said. "All right. We'll go there. We'll go to the big fancy house with all the servants."

Alistair put his hand on her shoulder. "When would you suggest we leave?"

Selina shrugged. "Well, I don't know. How about we leave the day before the wedding so we can be out of the way before the really stressful stuff starts? Early in the morning the day before the wedding? That way, you can drop us off, come back here and not have missed a thing."

"Sounds like a plan," Alistair said. "I can't wait."

"Now about this vacation Lenora says Adrian and Helene are taking," Selina said. "What's that about?"

"Well," Alistair told her, "Astrid has a job working on the witches' council now, and they've just passed sentence on a criminal who has a collection of minor infractions to his credit, but he was deemed a flight risk, so Adrian and Helene have agreed to watch over him until his time is complete."

"Are you sure it's a good idea having a criminal around an impressionable young girl like Lenora?" Selina asked.

"They've taken away his magic and turned him into a cat," Alistair said. "What harm could he possibly cause her? If anything, I'm more worried for _him_, and_ that _is saying something."

* * *

The night before he and Selina and Elijah were supposed to leave for the house, Alistair took Elijah out drinking. It wasn't to Enid's, of course, but a much nicer place. After Elijah had his first drink, he got up to go to the bathroom. After casting a glance around to make sure no one was watching him, Alistair put a spell on Elijah's glass so that as long as he drank from it, he would always want another glass. This went on for a bit, and when Elijah was thoroughly soused, Alistair led him outside and drove him home.

"Okay," he said to Elijah once they got in the house. "We're back now. You should go to bed and sleep off all you drank. Do you need help getting there?"

"No," Elijah shook his head, burped, and stumbled, but Alistair caught him before he hit the floor. "I think I'll help you anyway," he said. They walked to Elijah and Selina's bedroom door and Elijah knocked loudly. "Selina!" he yelled. "If you're in there, I'm home!"

"You need to be quiet," Alistair reminded him. "Your children are sleeping and you don't want to wake them up."

Elijah nodded. "Oh, right," he said. "The babies are _sleeping._ Shhhhh!" He knocked on the door again, this time more softly. "Selina!" He whispered. "Are you in there? I'm being quiet!"

Now, Selina opened the door. But Elijah hadn't let go out of door handle, so when she opened the door, he fell inside the room, his face hitting the carpet. "Ow," he said, his voice muffled.

"You should have let go of the door handle," Selina said. "Here, give me your hand. I'll help you up."

Elijah gave her his hand and though it took a little time, Selina and Alistair managed to get Elijah to his feet.

"Are you two going to be all right now?" Alistair asked them. "Because I can stay if you'd like."

"It would make more sense if you did," Selina said, moving Elijah's hand as it kept creeping up her shirt. "Why don't you just go find a room, get some sleep and then tomorrow, we'll leave. I've already dropped Laura and Gregory off at my neighbor's, so that's one less thing we have to worry about."

"The children are gone?" Elijah asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "They are."

Elijah gave her a look. "That means we can be _loud!"_

"I think I'll go now," Alistair said. "Good night, you two."

"Good night," Selina said, giggling as Elijah began blowing in her ear. She shut the door behind them and then the two of them spent the rest of the night making love until they finally fell asleep.

* * *

As soon as Selina's eyes opened again, she sat up, got out of bed, dressed and then went to go get Alistair.

"I think we should go," she said. "Now's as good a time as any. Is that all right with you?"

Alistair nodded. He was already dressed and looking very neat. He followed Selina back to her room where Elijah was still asleep. "How can we get him to the car?" Selina whispered. "He'll wake up if we try to carry him. Is there some sort of transport spell you can use?"

Alistair nodded. He waved his hand and Elijah disappeared. Alistair and Selina then grabbed the pair's bags, got into the passenger and driver seats (Elijah, who was still sleeping, was stretched out in back), and drove away from the house, and toward rest, relaxation and an experience that would hopefully make Elijah forget all about the fact that he was missing out on Lucy's wedding.

* * *

Elijah woke up in the car feeling very groggy.

"Where in the world am I?" He asked.

"You're with us," Alistair said. "We thought you could use a break and wanted to surprise you."

Elijah blinked a few times and everything became clear. He saw the backs of two black heads in front of him. "Selina? Alistair? Where are we going?"

Selina turned. "Oh, it will be all right, honey. Alistair said you had this fancy house that you used to use and I thought that it would be a good idea for us to go there for a bit and relax."

"What day is it?" Elijah asked.

"Friday," Selina said. "Why?"

Elijah's eyes widened. "Lucy's wedding is tomorrow! I have to go back!"

"Calm down," Selina said. "No, you don't. That is exactly why we're doing this: to keep your mind off Lucy and Damon's wedding. Klaus is gonna be enough trouble. I didn't want the both of you shouting out reasons why Lucy shouldn't get married. So let's just drive to the house, stop at the grocery store on the way, and when we get to our destination, I'll make you something yummy, okay?"

"Actually, we don't have to stop beforehand," Alistair said. "I'm sure if you told Christopher and Rose what you wanted, they'd be more than happy to go out and get it for you. They run the house, you know."

"You mean they're _servants_?" Selina asked.

"Oh, come on," Elijah said. "We treat them well. It's not like they live in the root cellar with nothing but bread and water. We're better than that."

Selina nodded. "Yeah, I know that. But after my upbringing, I've always been guilty about relying on servants. That's why I prefer to do everything myself." Then she looked down at her stomach. "But based on how big I am, I suppose just this once a little help wouldn't hurt."

When they reached the house, they were greeted by two smartly dressed people who Selina assumed were Christopher and Rose.

"Welcome back, sir," Christopher said to Elijah. "You aren't looking so well if I may say. Can I get you anything?" He had salt and pepper hair, deep blue eyes and a very serious look on his face.

"Get him a Bloody Mary," Selina suggested. "He had a big night last night and he still hasn't quite recovered from it." Both Rose and Christopher looked at her curiously.

"Sir," Rose said to Elijah, "Who is this?" Rose was a stout blonde in her mid-forties with dyed big blue eyes and rosy cheeks.

"Oh, this is Selina," Elijah said. "She's my wife. She will be doing the cooking around here, but as she is currently at a late stage in her pregnancy, she will, from time to time, require your assistance."

Christopher nodded. "And we'll be more than happy to give it to her," he said. He clicked his heels together, turned away from Selina and Elijah and then he and Rose walked away.

"I don't think he likes me very much," Selina said.

"Well, he's very proud of his position in this household," Elijah explained. "He and Rose usually do the cooking and it's possible that he feels you want to usurp him."

"Well, I sure didn't mean any harm," Selina said. "I suppose if a man's dignity and pride are at stake, I could let him and Rose take over things and wait on me. We aren't going to be here for very long anyway, are we?"

"Why shouldn't we be here for very long?" Elijah asked. "What's the rush?"

Selina sighed. "Honestly, I only intended for this to be a ruse to get you away from Lucy and Damon's wedding so you and Klaus wouldn't cause trouble for her. I wasn't planning on it turning into anything else."

"Well, then that's all the more reason for us to make this into an impromptu vacation," Elijah said. "Not that I need to tell you, but you're due in a couple of months, and who _knows_ the next time we'll be able to get away after the baby's born?"

"Yeah," Selina lay her head on his shoulder. "Once the baby's born, we'll have three kids under five, can you believe that? And I don't care if you protest, but I refuse to push out a fourth until at least two of the kids are in kindergarten. Preferably all three, but at least two. Is that all right?"

Elijah nodded. "I suppose that will be fine."

"Good," Selina nodded. "Thank you."

Just then, Rose timidly came toward them. "Ma'am?" She asked Selina. "What will you be needing from the grocery store to make dinner tonight?"

"Nothing," Selina said. "I've decided to allow you and Christopher to handle that. Is that all right with you?"

Now Rose stood straighter and there was a light in her eyes. "Oh, yes," she said. "I'll go inform Christopher. He'll be pleased." She looked at Elijah. "I'll get you your Bloody Mary now, sir."

Elijah smiled at Selina. "Thank you," he said. "You did the right thing. And you're not going to regret it, I promise."

"Really?" Selina asked.

Elijah gave her a look. "Would I ever purposefully mislead you?"

"I hope not," Selina said. They sat down in the living room playing rummy until Christopher announced breakfast and spent the rest of the day exploring the house. As Selina went to bed that night, she said, "I hope Lucy's gonna be okay tomorrow. I think she will. She's got Caroline looking out for her. And Alistair's there making sure Klaus doesn't do anything stupid. I'm sure things will go off without a hitch."

"I'm sure you're right," Elijah nodded. "Good night, my darling."

"Good night," Selina told him.

* * *

"Caroline," Lucy said when she opened the door of the house the morning of the wedding. "What are _you_ doing here? Have you come to try and talk me out of it?"

Caroline shook her head. "It should please you to know that I've given up on that idea, although you should know that your father has not."

"Well," Lucy said, "You can go home and tell him that nothing he can say or do will change my mind and he's just gonna have to deal with it, all right?"

Caroline sighed. "Well, all right. Let's get you ready then."

She brought Lucy into the bathroom and sat her down in front of the mirror.

"You know, you really don't have to help me with this," Lucy told her. "I am perfectly capable of handling things myself."

"Oh, don't be silly," Caroline said as she began working on Lucy's hair. "You shouldn't have to do this all by yourself."

Just then, the bathroom door opened and Caroline let out a small shriek.

"Would you relax?" Damon said. "It's just me."

"You could have knocked," Caroline told him severely. "You had no idea what we were up to in here! And you aren't supposed to be seeing her! It's bad luck!"

Damon shook his head. "No, what will be bad luck is the fact that Klaus insisted on coming."

"Did you want something?" Lucy asked him.

"I was just, um, I was..." As Damon looked at Lucy, he felt himself losing his train of thought. Finally, it came back to him. "My keys!" he said. "I was looking for my keys. Have you seen them?"

Lucy nodded, wincing as Caroline pulled her hair a little too hard.

"Sorry," Caroline whispered, looking sourly at Damon.

"They're in the kitchen, next to the toaster," Lucy told him. She eyed his tux. "And may I say you're looking very fancy yourself?"

Damon nodded. "Yes, you may."

They stared at one another some more and then Caroline cleared her throat. "Your keys!" she said sharply. "You were leaving to get your keys, which are in the kitchen and not in here."

"All right, all right," Damon said, holding up his hands and backing out the bathroom door. "I'm leaving."

Once he was gone, Lucy said, "What was that all about? The attitude, I mean?"

"Well," Caroline said, "Just because Damon cares about you and is nice to you and stuff doesn't mean he feels that way about other women. I, for example, was used by him, abused by him, and then tossed aside like a used tissue once he was done with me."

"Well, I'm sorry that happened to you, Caroline. I really am," Lucy said. "But the fact of the matter is that he's different with me, and I know that he'll never hurt me the way he hurt you. If he did, I would leave him with a very painful reminder not to do it again."

"I'm just making sure you're aware of the sort of man you're marrying," Caroline said. "I care about you and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Thank you for your concern," Lucy said. "But I won't let myself get hurt. And even if I do, I want to make my own mistakes, Caroline. I'm not a baby anymore. I don't need you to be a helicopter parent for me. It's time for me to spread my wings and fly."

Caroline stayed silent, frowning at Lucy, her lips pursed as she finished Lucy's hair and helped her into her dress. Then, just as Caroline was pulling the zipper up, they heard a honk outside. "There's Daddy," Lucy said. "Right on time. I really hope he behaves himself today. I mean, Alistair's gonna be there and he _promised_ that he'd keep Dad in line, but you never know."

They made their way out to the car. Klaus was standing next to it, and when he saw Lucy, a look of wonder crossed his face. "Look at you," he said when Lucy reached him. "My little girl all grown up. You're beautiful, Lucy."

Lucy felt herself blush as she accepted a hug from her father. "Thank you, Daddy," she said. "And thank you for being such a good sport about this. I know it's hard for you to let me go."

Klaus nodded. "As it is for any father who loves their little girl. But there comes a time when we must all learn to let go. Now, with that in mind," He opened the door to the limo he'd brought and grinned. "Your carriage, my darling."

Lucy grinned. "Why thank you." She got into one side of the limo and Klaus and Caroline squished together on the other side, since Lucy's wide, poofy skirt took up so much space.

"It's a good thing we know each other," Caroline said as she and Klaus clutched at one another. "Otherwise this would be very awkward."

"True," Klaus agreed with a grin as he ran his hand down her back and over her bottom. "But I don't mind. Do you?"

Caroline couldn't help but smile. "Certainly not," she said.

When they reached the ballroom at the hotel where the wedding was taking place, Alistair ran to the door to greet them. "You're here!" he said, looking immensely relieved. "Thank god."

"Of course we're here!" Lucy said to him. "It's my wedding, and Daddy's supposed to give me away. Why wouldn't we be here?"

"Things can happen," Alistair said without missing a beat. "I'm just glad nothing happened to you."

"Well, okay," Lucy said, looking at him strangely. I'm gonna go wait in my place until it's time for my big moment!"

She left and Alistair looked at Klaus. "You're handling yourself remarkably well," he said. "A little_ too _well. Is there something you'd like to tell me about?"

"No," Klaus said, trying to keep himself relaxed. "I'm fine."

"Look," Alistair said. "If you feel apprehensive, it's all right to say so. I mean, when Helene said she wanted to marry Adrian, I just about had a coronary, so I understand what it's like to have your daughter be in love with a man you don't necessarily approve of."

"And you see," Klaus said, "I never got why you had problems with Adrian. He was a good boy. A little too good for my taste, if I'm going to be perfectly honest. Some days it seemed like he wasn't even mine at all."

"And it seemed like whenever he was around Helene, he seemed more like you than anyone else," Alistair said. "It's all a matter of perspective."

They stood in awkward silence for a few minutes and then Klaus finally said, "You don't think Lucy's making a mistake, do you? I mean, technically, she's only ten years old. That's much too young to make a commitment to anyone."

Alistair rolled his eyes. "And the elephant in the room lets out a mighty roar," he said. "So you _are _uncomfortable with the idea of Lucy marrying Damon."

Klaus scoffed. "I'm uncomfortable with the idea of Lucy getting married at all," he said. "I hardly know her. How is it fair that I hardly know her and yet she sees fit to leave me and go be with someone else for the rest of eternity?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest," Alistair said, "This less than satisfactory relationship you have with Lucy is really your own doing. It was your affair with Vanessa and beastly temper that drove Selina out of your house and right into Damon's arms. I know you tried to make things right with her at the beginning, but it didn't exactly turn out the way you wanted. And dwelling will not help anything. You just have to move on from here."

"I just don't think it's fair," Klaus said. "I want a satisfactory relationship with Lucy before she runs away and gets married. It's my right as her father!"

"Don't do anything stupid!" Alistair said warningly. "You've been doing so well!"

Klaus' face, which had shown anger before, relaxed slightly as his eyes found a clock. "It's almost time for Lucy to get married," he said. "And I suppose if I can't get her to give up the wedding idea, then the least I can do is give her little pearls of wisdom to remember me by and wish her good luck."

"Are you _positive_ that's what you're going to do?" Alistair asked. "You're not going to do anything to interfere with the wedding?"

"Alistair, it hurts that you don't trust me," Klaus said smoothly.

"I can't, honestly," Alistair said. "I've known you far too long to harbor any illusions about that."

"Well it doesn't matter," Klaus said. "I'm gonna go talk to Lucy no matter what you think!" And before Alistair could open his mouth to protest, Klaus stomped off in the direction of the room where Lucy was waiting. He knocked and heard her say "Come in." He opened the door and stepped inside. When she saw him, her face lit up. "Hi, Daddy," she said. "Come to say some last words over me?"

Klaus looked at her for a long moment and then said, "Yes, some last words will be said."

"Okay," Lucy told him. "Go ahead."

"I don't want you to get married today," Klaus told her.

Lucy's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"You're not getting married today," Klaus said. "I'm sorry. I can't let that happen."

"Too bad," Lucy said, standing up tall and staring him down. "It's my life and there's nothing you can do to stop this!"

He began to advance on her, a look of sorrow on his face. "I'm sorry to have to do this," he said. "But it's for your own good. You'll see that."

"No!" Lucy shrieked as he picked her up and carried her out of the back door of the room into another part of the hotel. "Daddy, bring me back! I have to get married!" She beat him with her fists, but it did no good. Finally, she had to stop because her muscles ached and she was out of breath. He found a closet and put her in it, tying her up tightly with rope and then locking the door behind him on her yells for him to come back, but not before he poured liquid vervain on the inside handle of the door so she would be burned if she tried to force her way out.

When Klaus reached the ballroom again, Alistair gave him a look. "What took you so long? The room Lucy's in is _not_ that far from here."

"It was the strangest thing," he said, trying to keep his face a mask of innocence. "Lucy had a breakdown. She said that she was rash deciding to get married now and she wanted to wait until we had more time to get to know each other. But don't worry. I talked her back into it and made everything okay."

Alistair felt a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, but shrugged it off. Klaus would do anything to anyone in order to get his way, but there was not a chance he would go so far as to hurt Lucy to make her bend to his will.

The music began and everyone made their way down aisle with happy, eager expressions. Then, it was time for Lucy to make her big entrance. "Here comes the Bride" began and the door stood open as everyone watched and waited for Lucy to come out. But to their amazement, no one came. The organist played the song again and still, no one came. Finally, after a third failed attempt, Klaus went to stand in front of the confused crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, it appears that there will be no wedding today. Lucy showed evidence of cold feet earlier and I thought I'd talked her out of it, but apparently not. I'm sorry you had to come all this way for nothing, and if Lucy ever expresses a desire to have another go at this, I'll be sure to let all of you know."


	28. Pride and Prejudice

The next morning, Selina and Elijah woke up to a sharp knock on the bedroom door. "Sorry to disturb you, sir and madame," Christopher called. "But there is a phone call for you from a young woman named Lucy. She wants to speak to either one of you and she's most insistent."

Selina sat up, blinked and shook Elijah awake. "Lucy's calling," she said. "She wants to talk to one of us. Do you think it's because Klaus was stupid enough to ruin the wedding somehow?"

Elijah sat up and gave her a look. "My dear, I do," he said. "It seems like you got the wrong brother out of the way."

"Oh, please," Selina said. "You wouldn't have let me take Klaus off by myself and you know it. It was either you and me missing the wedding, or you and me and Klaus missing the wedding and we know how awkward that would have been."

Elijah sighed, put on a robe and opened the door, taking the phone from Christopher. "Lucy, darling? Are you all right? What's happened?"

"Daddy ruined everything!" Lucy burst out. "He said he was fine with it at first, but then, at the last moment, he carried me off to a closet, tied me up, locked the closet closed, and then told everyone I'd gotten cold feet, which is _not_ true!"

"Where are you now?" Elijah asked. "Are you at your and Damon's house?"

Lucy sniffled. "Yeah. But I'm alone. Uncle Stefan took Damon out of town for awhile to calm him down while I talk some sense into Daddy."

"I don't know how far you'll get on your own," Elijah said. "It might be best if I come and have a few words with your father myself. At least to start. Then I'll hand the reins over to you."

"Thank you," Lucy said. "And I'm really sorry to bother you about this. I know you and Mom are on vacation and everything, but I just didn't know who else to talk to."

Elijah shook his head. "Don't you worry, Lucy. Everything is going to be all right."

He called Christopher back and the latter took the phone away. Then Elijah shut his eyes and rubbed his temples. "It appears that no one in my family is capable of solving anything by themselves, so once again, I will step in and make everything all right because that is what I do."

"If it makes you feel any better, you're really good at it," Selina said. "So, I take it we're leaving?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "But at least we got one night of peace and quiet out of this, didn't we? That's something."

"Exactly," Selina nodded. "Now, would you help me hoist myself out of bed?"

Elijah nodded and with a grunt from Selina, they managed to get her out of bed. Then they dressed and said goodbye to Rose and Christopher and headed back home.

* * *

When they got back, Selina looked at Elijah eagerly. "Okay," she said. "What can I do to help?"

"You can go get Gregory and Laura and watch them while I try to sort out this mess," Elijah said. "That would really be a big help."

"Are you sure I can't do more?" Selina asked. "Because I would be more than happy to do more than watch the kids."

Elijah nodded and put a hand on her cheek. "I know you would, darling, and I thank you. But this is what's best for now. Trust me."

Selina sighed, looking disheartened. "Well, all right then," she said. "I guess you know best. You go out and solve all the world's problems and I'll just be in here, taking care of kids because I'm a woman and that's my place."

Elijah just nodded. "Thank you for understanding," he said. "With any luck, I'll see you and the children tonight. If, for any reason, I can't come back tonight, I'll call and let you know." He kissed her forehead. "I love you, darling."

"Yeah," Selina grumbled. "I know. Will you just _go_ already?"

Elijah sucked in a breath and looked at her in surprise. Her tone had changed suddenly. But then he shrugged it off. She was pregnant after all. It was probably just a mood swing.

* * *

"Hello, Elijah," Klaus said when he opened the door to his house and saw his brother standing on the other side. "Would you like to come in?"

"You don't seem too surprised to see me," Elijah said as he stepped over the threshold.

Klaus sighed. "I knew it would only be a matter of time before you came striding over here to berate me for what I did."

"Well, you have to realize that it was wrong," Elijah said to him. "Lucy was not happy about it at all when she called Selina and me."

"And that's always the way, isn't it?" Klaus said, looking aggrieved. "You try to do something with the best intentions and people always take it the wrong way." He sat down and looked reproachfully at his brother.

Elijah hadn't been expecting this. "Share with me," he said after a moment, taking a seat in the small chair across from Klaus. "Tell me what was going through your head when you decided to ruin the most important day of your daughter's life. Even with Roxanne you weren't so cruel."

"Roxanne wouldn't say that," Klaus said. "I turned Vince into a hybrid before I allowed him anywhere near her permanently."

"Why would you do that?!" Elijah asked. "It doesn't solve anything."

"Is it wrong for me to want my daughters in my life?" Klaus asked. "In Roxanne's case, she left me without a word for ten years and then married the man she preferred instead of me. Lucy's the same way with Damon. I don't want to stop Lucy from being happy, I just want the same amount of time to get to know her that you and Damon had."

"You have an admirable goal," Elijah said. "But you're going about it completely the wrong way. Have you talked to Lucy about any of this?"

"I've tried," Klaus said. "But she hasn't been returning my calls. She won't speak to me."

"And can you blame her?" Elijah asked. "Do both of yourselves a favor and stop pushing her. Lucy's a very sensible, compassionate woman and when she's ready to reach out to you and talk to you about what happened, she will."

"How long will I have to wait?" Klaus asked.

Elijah shrugged. "Now that, I don't know. But expect it to take some time. That's all I can tell you."

Klaus still looked unhappy. "I don't like this," he said.

Elijah nodded. "I know you don't," he said. Then left his brother alone and on his way back to his house, called Lucy and asked her to communicate with Klaus when she felt comfortable enough to.

"Oh, I will," Lucy said. "I just want it to be on my own terms, not his. I have every intention of talking to him at some point. I just think he needs to learn something from this. That's all."

"Good girl," Elijah said. "That's very wise. How are you now? Any better?"

"A little," Lucy replied. "It's a bit lonely here by myself since Uncle Stefan took Damon out of town, but I'm dealing. Thanks for talking to Dad for me. I appreciate it."

"No problem at all, Lucy," Elijah said. "No problem at all."

* * *

That night, Selina's sour mood from earlier in the day was still going on full force. She insisted on staying in her separate bedroom instead of coming to bed with him and was very vocal about why.

"If you think I'm just gonna come to bed with you only on your say-so, then you don't know me very well," she said. "I have the right to sleep wherever I want to, thank you very much, and tonight, I am sleeping by myself. You have a good night now." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Darling, if I've done something to upset you, I'm sorry," he said. "What have i done?"

"How could you not know?" Selina asked. "If you had a single brain cell in your head that gave an ounce of thought to _my _needs and _my _wants, then you'd know, but you don't, so I'm not telling you until I'm damn good and ready. Goodbye!" And with that, she turned away from him and threw the covers over herself. Realizing that there was nothing more he could do, he left, turning the light off on his way out and shutting the door behind him before going to sleep alone.

* * *

The next morning when he came down to breakfast, he saw that Gregory and Laura were eating bacon and eggs and toast and sausage. He sat down and eagerly awaited his. "Good morning," he greeted Selina when he saw her. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine," she said flatly. She then plunked down a cup of coffee and a plate with a piece of dry toast on it in front of him. "There's your breakfast. I hope you enjoy it."

He picked up the dry toast and then, as the crumbs went all over his suit pants, he put it down again. Then, he took a sip of the coffee, winced, and spit it out. "This is terrible!" He said. "It's cold and it still has grounds in it!"

"Well, I'm sorry, Your Highness," Selina said with a mock curtsey. "I was so busy making sure the kids had a good breakfast, I didn't really have a lot of time to focus on you. But don't worry, I know you're good at handling things yourself with no help from me. And taking care of the kids _is_ the only job I'm allowed in life so I might as well be good at it, right?"

Elijah nodded. "I figured this was all about what happened yesterday."

"Yeah," Selina said. "Why didn't you let me come with you?"

"Well, why did you want to come?" Elijah asked her. "What would your being there have accomplished?"

Selina opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't think of a good response. Eventually, she settled for shutting her mouth, sitting down and eying him sourly.

"I don't know why you're looking at me like that," Elijah said. "I don't mean to hold you back, ever, even though you think I do. And in any situation where you'd be of help to me, I'd be foolish to keep you away, but in this case, I knew the only thing that would have happened if you'd have come with me was that you would have gotten angry at Niklaus about what he did, that would have started a fight between the two of you, and then..." he sighed. "And that's exactly what we're trying to ease you out of, remember?"

"I am looking at you like this because I hate it when you're right and I'm wrong," Selina said.

He stood up and came to put his arm around her. "I know you do," he said as she leaned against him. "I know you do."

But although he'd won and Selina had lightened up toward him considerably after that, he couldn't help but feel troubled by the degree of resentment simply asking her to stay home and watch the children had made her show.

"Can we talk about something?" Elijah asked her as he leaned against the kitchen door later that day watching her frost a cake.

"Sure," Selina said. "What about?"

"It's about how you reacted yesterday when we got back," he said. "And last night. And this morning."

Selina shrugged. "I was upset. I don't like hearing that the only thing I'm good for is watching kids while the men go out and have all the fun, okay? Never have, never will."

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call going and berating my brother for making Lucy upset _fun_," Elijah protested. "It's extremely bothersome is what it is."

"But do you get what I mean?" Selina asked. "You get to go out and accomplish things and make a difference in the world. It's hard to do that when you're stuck at home."

"Because of you, Gregory and Laura and anyone else who comes along are going to be sane, loveable, responsible people," Elijah said. "That's something to be proud of. Focus on that."

Selina rolled her eyes. "You know, that's exactly the type of thing my mother used to say: 'You don't need to go out into the world to accomplish things, dear. Leave the men to do that. The satisfaction that a woman feels should come from being a good mother and making a good home. Nothing more'." Selina growled. "Whenever she said that, it made me so mad!" She then brought the knife down into the center of the cake, splitting it neatly in two.

"It's a good thing that wasn't someone's brain," Elijah said. "It would have been deadly."

Selina grinned, wiping the frosting off the knife with her finger, then licking her finger. "I was picturing my mother's skull," she said.

* * *

Elijah decided that he needed to see for himself what kinds of things Selina had endured as a young human woman that had made her so hostile to the idea of being a mother, or even just being married to a man like himself. And he knew there was only one person who could help him do that: Alistair.

Alistair looked surprised when he opened the door and Elijah strode into his house. The latter looked troubled.

"Are you all right?" Alistair asked. "Elijah, what's wrong?"

Elijah looked at him and sighed. "I would like you to do something for me," he said. "Is it possible for you to send me back in time to when Selina was human so I can see what things were like for her? She's been very angry recently and she told me some things about her human life and views on marriage that were very troubling. So troubling that they couldn't have been real. But I have to see for myself. I need to go back to when she was old enough to start getting marriage proposals. I couldn't tell you the exact date."

Alistair sucked in his breath. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Elijah asked. "Is it not possible for you to do it?"

"It's possible," Alistair said. "But the thing with time travel is that you can only be a passive observer. You can't do anything that would change history, or there will be consequences. In that case, the consequences would be for me since I was the one who sent you back. And I know you wouldn't intentionally do anything to get me in trouble but I also know that you love Selina so much that if you see her get hurt in any way, you will do something to defend her without even thinking about it. And even the smallest action _can_ change time. Which is why, when witches do time travel, they have to have someone very experienced travel with them, so the travelers can watch the scenes of the past as if they're watching a film: They can hear what's going on and they can see it, but they can't interact with it. That's how it was in the past when I showed Klaus the deepest, darkest corners of Selina's past. And freezing time is very complex. If anyone other than people who knew how to freeze it went back in time, interaction would not only be possible, but unavoidable, which, as I've said before, is frowned upon and has dire consequences. And if it were any time other than now, I would be more than happy to take you back, but the mess your brother has created with Lucy is taking up every moment of my time, so I just can't spare you any. I'm sorry."

"I will not do anything that will alter history, I swear," Elijah said. "I just want to learn more about Selina's life so I can understand her better."

"Why can't you just ask her to tell you about her life, then?" Alistair asked him. "It would be a lot simpler than doing a time travel spell."

"I know about her past, because I have talked to her about it, but what she's told me, I just can't believe how someone could live the sort of life that she did and still be as cheerful and affectionate as she is."

"She wasn't always that way," Alistair reminded him. "Or have you forgotten about her years as Lonely Heart already?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "I could _never_ forget her years as Lonely Heart."

Alistair looked at him for one more long moment before he said again, "No, I'm sorry, I can't."

Elijah nodded. "I understand, Alistair. I wouldn't want you to do anything that would get you in trouble."

"Thank you," Alistair said quietly. He left and then Astrid came out and offered Elijah a drink, then headed back into the bedroom to continue reading a book. As Elijah sat alone in the living room sipping his drink, a little girl with blonde hair peeked her head out of the kitchen and then came striding out. "Hello," she said.

Elijah grinned. "Hello."

"Who are you?" She asked, sitting down next to him. "My name is Lenora."

"Well, hello, Lenora," Elijah said. "I'm Elijah."

Lenora's eyes widened. "I know you! You're Grandpa Alistair's friend!"

"I'm also your uncle," Elijah said. "Your Grandfather Niklaus' brother." He shook his head. "That seems so weird to say."

"I didn't know Grandpa had a brother," Lenora said. "That's so cool!"

Elijah nodded. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"What were you and Grandpa Alistair talking about?" Lenora asked curiously.

"Nothing," Elijah said. "I just wondered if he would do a spell for me, but it turned out he couldn't cause he's busy at the moment."

"What kind of a spell?" Lenora asked again. "Maybe I can do it! I'm not a grown up yet, and they don't yell at you if you're not a grown up!"

"Well, technically the spell I need him to do isn't illegal per se," Elijah said. "It's a time travel spell, so I can see your Grandma Selina when she was human. But your Grandpa Alistair was afraid that I would inadvertently change history. And you probably don't know how to do a time travel spell, so..."

"I do, actually ," Lenora said. "Grandpa Alistair is teaching Mom and I've seen how the spell works. So I could help you if you wanted."

Elijah shook his head. "No, thank you dear," he said. "It's sweet, but I think I can wait until Alistair is able to take me himself. That would be best." But inside, he felt his heart sink. He sighed and lay down on the sofa, closing his eyes. Lenora looked down at him.

"I know you want to see Grandma," she said quietly. "And I'm gonna help you do it." She left him sleeping on the sofa and went to see Astrid. "Grandma," she said, "Could you drive me to Aunt Lucy's real fast? I left one of my schoolbooks there."

Astrid put her book down. "Of course," she said. "You can't do your schoolwork with your schoolbooks, can you?"

Lenora shook her head. "No." She went and grabbed her schoolbag so she'd have something to carry the material she needed for Elijah's spell in, and then she and Astrid left for Lucy's.

* * *

"Have you come for your math book?" Lucy asked Lenora. "It was awfully sneaky of you to leave it here."

"Daddy used to not do his math all the time and then he'd _still_ make the teacher give him good marks," Lenora said.

Lucy sighed. "Well, I don't know if following your father's footsteps in that regard is such a good idea, but coming back to get your book and actually study _is._ I think your mother would be proud."

"Are you seeing Daddy today?" Lenora asked. "He said you were."

Lucy nodded. "Yeah. He and Aunt Roxie and I are gonna have a little chat about what my father did at me and Damon's wedding."

"Oh," Lenora nodded, her mouth drooping a little. "You mean how he _ruined _it?"

"Exactly," Lucy nodded. "How he ruined it and where to go from here."

"Well, good luck with that," Lenora told her. "I'm gonna go look for my book now."

"I left it by the phone," Lucy said.

Lenora went and saw that her math book _was_ by the phone, but she knew that she'd have to think of something to allow herself time to get what else she needed. She made the book disappear and then called out to Lucy, "Are you sure it's by the phone? I don't see it!"

Lucy came into the kitchen and frowned. "Well that's odd. I could have sworn I put it there."

Lenora shrugged. "Oh, well. I can look around for it. That doesn't bother me."

"All right," Lucy said. "Just be careful if you have to leave this floor. There's stuff on the upper floors that can be bumped into or hit you and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay!" Lenora promised. "I'll be careful!" And with that, she darted away and up to the attic where she'd zapped her math book. That also happened to be where the trunk of all of Damon's human stuff was, including pictures of him and Grandma Selina. Once she'd carefully made her way across the attic and grabbed her math book, she also opened the trunk, sneezing as some dust rose up. She gently dug around for a photograph and finally found one of Damon and Selina dated June of 1863. "Perfect," she said and placed it in a carefully padded box so that it wouldn't get ruined. Then after putting the photo and the book in her bag, she went down to see Astrid and Lucy. "I found my book and I'm ready to go," she said. "Good luck with your talk, Aunt Lucy!"

* * *

"All right," Astrid said when she dropped Lenora off. "I have to run to work now. Are you and Elijah gonna be all right here by yourselves? Maybe I should wake him up before I go."

"No," Lenora shook her head. "Let him sleep. I'll behave myself, I promise."

"Are you sure?" Astrid asked her, giving her a look.

"Yes!" Lenora said, her hands on her hips. "Why does everyone always look at me like that?!"

"I raised your mother and helped raise your father and let me tell you, the look, It saves time," Astrid replied. "But as long as you promise to just do your schoolwork and don't mess with anything, I'll leave you here."

Lenora nodded. "I promise. I told you that already!"

Astrid sighed, nodded, and left. Once she was gone, Lenora hurried to the living room, hoping that Elijah was still soundly asleep. Seeing that he was still asleep, she placed her bag next to the sofa and carefully took out the photograph of Damon and Selina, pressing Elijah's hand against it gently as she muttered to herself. Once she'd finished the spell, she smiled with satisfaction and went to study her math.

* * *

"So that was something that Dad did at the wedding, wasn't it?" Adrian said, a hint of a smirk on his face. Both of his sisters just glared back. They were in the kitchen at Roxie and Vince's and Vince had taken Joey and Addie out so the three of them could have some privacy.

"I don't see what's so funny," Lucy said. "He practically ruined everything!"

"Yeah!" Roxie agreed. "If he was gonna pull crap like that, he should have just skipped the wedding altogether. That would have been kinder."

"Personally, I think the two of you are being too hard on him," Adrian said. "The reason why he did stuff to either of your boyfriends is that he wanted to spend more time with you. If you cared about him at all, you would have been sensitive enough to figure that out and given your time with Vince and Damon a rest. I've never trusted Damon much, anyway."

"It's easy for you to judge, Adrian," Lucy said. "He never went psycho on the women _you_ were interested in. And you let Damon watch Lenora! Why are you so against him and me getting married?"

Adrian nodded. "And there are a couple of reasons for that: One, I never left him for large chunks of time without a word, nor did I think of anyone other than him as my father. And he liked Helene. It's as simple as that. And Damon watching Lenora was Helene's idea. Sometimes, it's just easier to let her have her way than to try and fight her, all right? I was just trying to keep the peace."

"None of that stuff about me thinking other people were my dad was my fault!" Lucy complained. "Mom and Dad were growing apart when I was born. It's entirely natural that I didn't see too much of him. Granted Mom _could_ have made more of an effort to let Dad see me when I was growing up, but to hold that over me now is just childish!" She paused and looked at Adrian appealingly. "I've already got Uncle Elijah working on Dad, but I don't suppose you'd be willing to put in a few words for me too? Please? Hearing that you're supporting me might just be the thing that pushes him over into accepting the situation."

Before Adrian could reply, Roxie scoffed at Lucy. "You're kidding, right? How can you think that you can rely on him for something like that? He already told you that he doesn't trust Damon worth a damn, so why would he help you? We'll just have to deal with this ourselves!"

"Now just a minute!" Adrian said. "If you're nice to me, I _might_ be willing to put in a good word for Lucy. Of course it will have to be _after_ I get back from doing that errand with Helene and who knows when that will end."

"Exactly!" Roxie said. "You and Helene have to do that thing, so you're basically useless to us, aren't you? However, you and Helene have a good time on your trip and be sure to send me a postcard."

"Love you too, sis," Adrian said.

"I never said that," Roxie told him.

"I know," Adrian replied. "But I always pretend like you're a nice person and can exchange pleasantries just like everyone else."

"You know what?" Roxie asked. "We don't have to put up with this!" She pulled Lucy up with her and they started to stride away. Adrian tried not to laugh, seeing how long it would take before Roxie realized that they were at _her _house. It didn't take too long.

"Wait a moment!" She said, turning around quickly. "I don't have to go anywhere! This is _my_ house. Adrian, _you're_ the one who has to leave!"

"Fine," Adrian said, standing up and smirking. "I'll leave. You ladies have a good day now."

Roxie just stuck her tongue out at him and pulled Lucy away with her. But Adrian waited by the door and a few minutes later, Lucy came running back. "Now about Damon," she said. "I know you don't really trust him and if I'm completely honest with myself, I understand why. But the point is, he makes me happy and..."

Adrian held up his hand. "Know that I don't see as much in Damon as you do, but if he means that much to you, I'll try to put my personal feelings aside and try to make some headway with Dad for you. Now, I don't know how successful I'll be cause I don't have a lot of time to come up with an ironclad argument, but I'll at least give it a shot."

Lucy smiled and hugged him. "Thank you, Adrian. Thank you so much."

* * *

The next time Elijah opened his eyes, it was because of a rough jolt. He sat up, feeling momentarily disoriented before he realized he was sitting in a carriage. He looked out the window. It was a nice, sunny day out. He had no idea where he was.

"Sorry about that, sir," the the driver called. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Elijah called back. "I'm fine." They drove on for a little while in silence. When they finally stopped again, it was in front of a large, white antebellum-style house. "Here you are, sir," the driver said. "Didn't you say you wanted to be dropped off at the Lockwood mansion?"

Elijah stared at him for a moment, uncomprehending, then he finally decided it would be best to just agree. "Yes, exactly," he said. "The Lockwood mansion. And now, I know this might sound strange, but what is the full date today?"

"The third of June, 1863," the driver said. "Do you want me to wait here until someone from the house comes to collect your bags?"

Elijah nodded. So this is a year of Selina's human life, he thought to himself. It must be. He couldn't think of any other reason why he would be in the 1860s. Lenora must've come through for him after all. He only hoped he wouldn't mess anything up. Just then, someone came striding out of the house and right up to him. Someone he knew quite well She wore a light blue dress that contrasted nicely with her dark blue eyes, he noticed.

"I don't know who you are, but I know why you're here," Selina said. "Mama wanted you to come here. Because she thinks some quiet, stable, boring man will turn me into the debutante daughter she's always wanted. Well, let me tell you that if that's your plan, you can just get back in your carriage and leave. I don't like you, and I certainly don't want to be married to you. Especially since I'm already spoken for. Mama's just in denial about that."

Elijah looked at Selina's angry face and tried his hardest not to laugh. He failed and cracked a smile anyway.

"What's so funny?" Selina asked. "Why are you laughing at me?"

He tried to sober up. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to. That was rude of me. Why is it that you assume I came at your mother's behest even though you don't know me yet?"

"Well, look at yourself," Selina said. "You look exactly like the rest of the men Mama has been parading around here ever since I turned sixteen. She _really_ wants me to get married."

"And you don't feel the same way, I take it," Elijah said as they made their way toward the house.

"I _do _want to be married," Selina said. "Just not to the sort of man Mama thinks I ought to be. Someone like you."

"Well, what sort of man would you prefer?" Elijah asked.

Just then, he heard a whistle. A young man with dark hair was gesturing from the front steps of the house. "It's about time you got back here, Lina," he said. "Your mother was worried about you. She thought you were planning to run away." He grinned, one side of his mouth going up. "It seems like she's beginning to figure you out."

"I wasn't trying to run away, Damon," Selina said to him. "I just came out to welcome our guest. I'm surprised that Mama didn't come out to greet him herself. It's because of her that he's here."

Damon drew Selina against him and eyed Elijah critically. "Yes, you're right," he agreed. "He definitely does seem like the sort to catch your mother's eye." He cleared his throat. "So, stranger," he asked. "What's your name?"

Elijah didn't hear him right away. He was too busy staring at how Selina was leaning against Damon and letting him put his arm around her. Finally, he was able to pull his gaze away. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked what your name was," Damon repeated. "And what brings you here. I'm Damon Salvatore, and this firecracker here is Miss Selina Warren."

Elijah gave him a brief glance and quickly shook his hand. "Elijah Mikaelson," he said. "It's a pleasure."

"Well, why don't you come inside and rest," Selina said. "If my mother dragged you here, the least we can do is take you inside."

Elijah nodded and followed the pair inside the house, his eyes locked on Damon's hand resting on Selina's waist. He felt his own fists twitch, waiting to slap Damon's hand away if it moved any lower on Selina than that. The first person they saw in the house, was a woman Elijah had seen a few times before, but she didn't look any different.

"Well, hello," she said with a small curtsy. She looked at Damon. "And just where did you find this handsome man?" She asked him.

"Mr. Mikaelson was outside, Miss Amelia," Damon replied. "We thought _you_ sent for him. You know, for Selina."

Amelia started to deny it, but then she gave Elijah a good look over. "That's not a bad idea. Have you met my daughter yet, Mr. Mikaelson? She's a very headstrong girl and having a firm masculine hand control her would relieve my mind so much."

Elijah couldn't think of how to reply to that, but that was okay. Amelia didn't give him time. She looked at Selina. "I'd like you to be as good to Mr. Mikaelson as you possibly can, dear. Even better than you can."

"Yes, Mother," Selina said flatly.

Amelia then stood up. "I have an outing to go on. So lovely to meet you, Mr. Mikaelson." She looked at Selina severely. "Until I get back, remember Michael is in charge. You are to do as your cousin says."

"He's gone," Selina told her. "On a hunting trip, remember?"

Amelia shut her eyes. "Oh, yes. I forgot. Well, anyway, behave yourselves while I'm gone." She left and the three went to the the parlor. "So, Mr. Mikaelson," Selina said. "Was it _really_ my mother who brought you here? Or am I just making assumptions? Mama has scolded me for that before."

"Well, I _did _come to see you," Elijah said. He could say that safely without lying. "But not because your mother wanted me to. I came of my own free will."

"Oh," Selina nodded. "Well, like I said, I'm already spoken for. I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go read in the library." She got up and Elijah found himself watching her walk away until she disappeared.

Then, Damon cleared his throat. "You'll have to excuse her," he said. "It's just that men like you make her a little defensive."

"Oh, yes," Elijah nodded. "Since I'm so quiet and stable and boring."

Damon smirked. "Exactly. But don't blame yourself. Not everyone can be exciting. And Selina needs an exciting man. Someone who will let her experience life and see the world, and...I feel like I could do that for her much better than you could."

Elijah's eyes narrowed. "Oh, yes? And while you and she are seeing the world, how many nights are you planning on leaving her alone while you seek, shall we say, more liberal-minded female company?"

At that, Damon's eyes became cold. "How dare you," he said.

"But do you deny that's what you'd do?" Elijah asked him. "You don't do you?"

That was too much. Damon took the three steps it took to reach Elijah's chair and punched him, hard. Elijah let out a yell and clutched at his nose, but it didn't take him long to recover and he stood up and delivered a punch of his own. The hits kept coming as the pair made their way to somewhere Elijah didn't know. Finally, they stopped outside a door. Both men were bruised, bleeding and exhausted. But because he recovered much quicker, Elijah was able to get to his feet and get inside the room quicker than Damon was, thus shutting the human man out. As the door slammed closed, Elijah noticed he was in a room with a lot of books, and that Selina was lounging on a sofa, her hair down, and her stockings and shoes neatly laid out on the floor next to where she sat.

"Do you mind?" She asked, without looking up. "You were making a terrible racket out there. How is a person supposed to read?"

"I apologize," Elijah said, keeping his body against the door so that Damon couldn't open it. "What are you reading?"

Selina shut her book and set it down next to her. "I thought I'd give _Pride and Prejudice_ a try, but honestly, it doesn't do much for me. I think I'll give up on it." She looked up and gasped, taking in his visage which, although blood-covered, was quite attractive. "Oh, lord! What's happened to your face? You're covered in blood!"

"You could call them war wounds, I suppose," Elijah told her. "Young Mr. Salvatore apparently took something I said a little too harshly and fists flew."

They heard a loud noise and Elijah braced himself against the door again. "What was that?" Selina asked. "Is someone out there?"

"Just Damon looking to cause me more bodily harm," Elijah said.

Selina sighed. "Well, I shall have to speak to him about that," she said. "You may be quiet, stable, and boring but you should be able to be a guest at someone's house without having the threat of injury hanging over you." And with that, she got up from the sofa, walked over to him, removed a handkerchief from her sleeve and began wiping the blood off his face. After a few seconds though, he reached up and enclosed her warm hand in his, holding it for a little while before removing the handkerchief from her grasp. "I thank you, Miss Warren," he said. "But I believe I can clean myself up. The sight of so much blood could be too much for your feminine sensibilities."

Selina scoffed. "You obviously know nothing about me, sir," she said. "Now move aside so I can let Damon in."

Elijah gave her a long look, but reluctantly moved aside so she could open the library door. When she did, Damon fell in and looked up at her.

"I'm hurt," he said, looking up at her.

"And that is your own fault," Selina said. "That's what happens when you start fights with people. I'm sure there is someone around here who will help you mend your injuries, but it will certainly not be me. You know better, Damon."

Grumbling, Damon got to his feet and strode out the library door. Selina watched him go, then turned back to Elijah, who was looking at her in wonder.

"Why?" He asked. "Why did you help me and not him?"

Selina shrugged. "Well, did he strike first?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "He did."

"Well, there you go," Selina said. "That is why I helped you and not him. There are better ways to deal with your problems than fighting about them, I always say."

Elijah grinned. "That's very wise," he said. "You seem like a very intelligent young woman."

"You have a very nice smile," she said, the remark about her intelligence finally softening her towards him. "When you smile, you don't seem so stuffy and boring after all."

Elijah's eyebrow went up. "I don't?"

Selina shook her head. "No. And actually, I might consider marrying you if..."

"If what?" Elijah asked. He pretty much knew what she was going to say. He also knew that he shouldn't wait for her answer or even do what she was going to ask, but he couldn't help himself.

"I might consider marrying you if you kissed me and I liked it," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Elijah cleared his throat. "That's taking things a little too far for my comfort," he said. "If I were to be entirely honest, I am kind of ashamed that I am alone in here with you while you're unchaperoned."

"It doesn't matter," Selina said. "So will you kiss me?"

Elijah shook his head. "No," he said firmly, his arms crossed. "I won't."

She turned away from him and threw a grin over her shoulder. "Coward," she said playfully.

Elijah rolled his eyes and tried not to be moved. This was a common tactic of hers: appealing to his pride and making him so emotional that he would do something that was against his better judgment. "Refusing to kiss you when it would be improper to do so does not make me cowardly," Elijah said. "It makes me a gentleman."

"Please," Selina said. "I'm trying to _help_ you. You seem nice enough and I suppose if I am to be married off to someone that my mother approves of, it might as well be you. I only ask for you to be a _little_ rakish. Is that impossible?" She looked at him appealingly.

He sighed. "It's not _impossible_. I just don't want to cause any more trouble than I already have."

"Don't mind Damon," Selina said. "He's overprotective of me, but it's nothing to worry about."

Elijah drew closer to her. "I thought you said you were already spoken for, but it seems like that's changed."

Selina put her arms around him. "I'm not spoken for unless I choose to be," she said. Their faces moved closer and closer together, and they kissed, all too briefly the first time as Elijah realized what she'd made him do, and then longer the second time, once he'd looked into her blue eyes and decided that he didn't care about the consequences anymore.

But the kiss was broken when the door opened and Elijah heard someone swear under their breath. He and Selina turned around to see Damon, twitching and angry, standing in the library doorway. He looked at them for two seconds and then sprinted away.

"Damn," Selina muttered under her breath. "What bad timing." She looked at him. "Be careful," she said. "Damon's good with a pistol. He taught me how to shoot."

Elijah watched as she sat down on the sofa and put her stockings and shoes back on. Then he took hold of her chin so that she was looking him in the eyes. "I have to go now," he said. "And You can't know that I was here. Not yet. But know that I love you and you _will _see me again. I promise." She nodded and he darted out of the library as an angry Damon chased after him with a pistol in hand.

Elijah did his best not to look back as Damon fired bullets at him, and although nothing would have pleased him more than to grab the human man by his neck and wring the life out of him, he couldn't. Not when he'd just settled things with Selina so that her future wouldn't be ruined.

The pair made it out of the house and the overseer tried to get hold of Damon and keep him calm, but that failed and Damon just shouldered the man aside and kept on shooting. Suddenly, there was a big flash of light that blinded Damon and made him drop the gun. He felt himself falling, then, he hit something hard. He turned over onto his back and found himself on the cold tile floor of someone's kitchen. He sat up and looked around. He was a little afraid. He was in a place he didn't recognize, surrounded by machinery he'd never seen before. If he could just see a familiar face, if someone would tell him where he was or what was going on, he knew he would feel so much better.

Just then, his wish was granted. Selina strolled into the kitchen and let out a shriek at the sight of him.

"What's the matter with you, Lina?" Damon asked when she was quiet again. "What are you scared for? It's only me. You know I won't hurt you. Now, where am I? Would you be so kind as to tell me?"


	29. Releasing Mr Hyde

"Oh, my god," Selina said. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

Past Damon shrugged. "I was chasing after this man, and then there was a big flash of light and here I am. But the question is, where is 'here'?"

Selina sighed. "Well, let me just say you're a long way from home, and leave it at that. I don't think it would be right for me to tell you more."

Just then, Elijah strode into the kitchen looking uncharacteristically rumpled. "Well," he said, striding up to Selina and giving her a kiss, "I have no intention of going back in time ever again."

"You went back in time?" Selina asked him. "Did you, by chance, end up during when I was alive? And did you mean to bring Damon back with you?"

"Oh, no!" Elijah said with a groan when he noticed Damon on the kitchen floor. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Relax," Selina said, trying to calm him down. "I don't think he came on purpose. That's something we're trying to figure out, actually."

"Well, while he figures it out, he'll have to go stay somewhere else, because I won't let him remain under my roof," Elijah said. "And that's final."

"Well then, where is he supposed to stay?" Selina asked.

Elijah shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, that's not really fair, is it?" Selina asked him. "You say Damon needs to leave and you can't even suggest another place to put him."

"Well, all right!" Elijah said, throwing up his hands. "Go take him to Lucy's. She's got space there, doesn't she?"

"Well, yes," Selina nodded. "I mean, Lenora's there with her because Adrian and Helene are out of town, but no one else is there."

"Fine," Elijah nodded. "Take him to Lucy's."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Past Damon asked, adjusting his tie. "Lina, where are you taking me?" Selina had already compelled him to just accept all the technological advancements around him like cars so he wouldn't ask questions that she didn't feel she should answer.

"We're taking you to see Lucy," Selina replied. "You can't stay at our house and I don't know where else to take you."

"Who is this Lucy?" Damon asked. "Is she nice?"

"Yeah, she's nice," Selina said. "But just to warn you, she might be a little...antagonistic when she sees you. Because as you know, you're not supposed to be here. And the you who_ is _supposed to be here is gone and doesn't know that you're here. So just...be prepared, all right?"

"Antagonistic, you say?" Damon asked with a twinkle in his eye. "I don't mind strong women. I was about to handle you, wasn't I?"

Selina sighed and thought to herself, "What did I see in him again? He's not the way I remember at all!"

When they reached Lucy and Damon's house, Damon left the car and went to the front door, knocking for a moment. Then, Lenora opened the door.

"Hi!" She said, throwing herself into his arms. Then she looked up into his eyes and let him go. "I'm Lenora," she said. "Who are _you_?"

Just a few moments later, Lucy came in wearing a bathrobe and, like Lenora had, hugged him hard. But i second later, she pulled away, frowning. "Who the hell are you?" She asked him.

"I'm Damon Salvatore of course," he said with a grin. "And who might you be? And what do you charge?"

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying? I am _not_ a prostitute! I am an artist!"

Damon grinned. "They all are." He looked her over. "You know, you're very beautiful."

Lucy slapped him. "And you're very presumptuous, whoever you are. Now I am going to put on some clothes and then you are going to give me some answers, you got me?"

Damon rubbed the red spot on his cheek. "As you wish," he said. He sat down on the sofa. "Hurry," he said. "I'm not used to being kept waiting."

Lucy scoffed, grabbed Lenora's hand and the two of them went to Lucy's bedroom to talk.

"That's not Damon," Lenora said. "That's somebody else."

"Actually," Lucy said, "I think it _is_ Damon, I just...I don't know why he's even here. He and Stefan are out of town. And I don't know why he's dressed so atypically either."

Lenora shrugged and then gasped, her hand coming up to her mouth. "Oopsie!"

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"This might be my fault," Lenora said. "Uncle Elijah wanted a time travel spell to meet Grandma Selina when she was human, but Grandpa Alistair was busy, so I said I'd do it. Then Grandma Astrid found out what I did and made me bring him back. Damon must have come with him."

Lucy sighed and shut her eyes tight. "Well, you can send him back, right? You know how?"

Lenora nodded. "I think I can send him back okay."

"Good," Lucy said. "Now let me get dressed and then let's go back to the living room and hope nothing else bad happens."

She dressed and then the pair went back to the living room and sat in chairs next to Damon on the sofa.

"Sorry we were so surprised by you earlier," Lucy said. "I hope we didn't come off too rude."

Damon nodded. "Lina mentioned that I might make you a little nervous. She also said that there's another me that's around somewhere."

"Yes," Lucy nodded. "He's the one l like."

Damon leaned forward. "I don't know how else to answer your question," he said. "I really am Damon Salvatore, and how I got here, I have no idea. One minute, I was home where I belonged, in 1863, and the next, here I am in this time." He shrugged.

"Well, we have to get you back, don't we?" Lucy asked. "That would be the most logical thing."

Damon nodded. "But I don't know how I got here, much less how to get back."

Lucy sighed. "Lenora can help you. In the mean time, you'll sleep on the sofa, although why my mother saw fit to drop you off here, I have no idea."

Damon frowned. "Who is your mother?"

"I think you called her Lina," Lucy replied.

Damon's eyes widened. "Lina is your _mother_?" He stood up quickly. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm very sorry. I suppose I'll have to go find a hotel to stay in, won't I?"

"Why?" Lucy asked. "You're not even from this time. Why would you risk wandering around when you have no real idea where you are?"

Damon shook his head. "There are so many things I don't know, among them how Lina is still here, and how I am still here. But there's one thing I do know: If Lina is your mother, I must be your father, so I apologize if I was too forward.

"Wait a minute!" Lucy began. "You're not-" Stop, a voice in her head told her. Let him think what he needs to so he won't try to pull anything. And in a sense, he wasn't wrong.

She cleared her throat. "You're not wrong about that," she finished. "And given our new-found relationship, I'll let you sleep in the extra bedroom. Just let me make it up for you first."

* * *

As Lucy and Lenora were making up the extra bed after they'd dressed, Lenora asked Lucy, "Why did you tell Damon he's your daddy? He's _not_!"

"I know that," Lucy said. "But I can't tell him the truth, can I? I don't think it would be safe for him to be wandering around in a world that exists almost two hundred years after he does, and I figured that if he thought we were related, he'd be more likely to stay put until you send him back."

"Oh," Lenora nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. I just hope nothing else bad happens." They finished making up the bed and then there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Lucy called.

Damon opened it with a grin and came inside. "You're in here. Good. I've knocked on so many doors. Anyway, a young man who looks disturbingly like me has made his way into the house. Do you know him? He didn't seem phased by the sight of me at all. He just smiled and told me he thought my outfit was nice and that he 'liked the new look'."

"Oh, god!" Lucy groaned. "Of all the days for Sammy to make a surprise visit home from his tour!"

"Tour?" Damon asked, looking intrigued. "Is he in the military?"

"No," Lucy shook her head. "He's a singer. He and his band are holding concerts around the world right now, but he comes back to visit the other you occasionally, when he's got a break."

Just then, the door opened and Sam poked his head in. "So this is where the party is," he said. He sat next to Damon on the bed. "And like I told you before, Dad, I like the new look. It's very neat."

Damon looked at him and blinked. "Who are you?" He asked. Then he looked at Lucy. "Who's that?"

"Well," Lucy said to him, "This is Sammy. He's my brother." She paused. "Does that sound right?" She asked herself aloud.

"Yes!" Sam said. "I _am_ your brother, no matter how much I want to deny it. Are you okay? Have you been experimenting with drugs to help your art or something?"

Lucy frowned and hit Sam on the arm. "Hey!" she said sternly. "Be nice!"

"Yeah!" Lenora said, hitting Sam again. "Be nice!"

"Geez!" Sam said, rubbing his arm and looking at the girls sourly. "I was just making a joke. You don't have to be violent."

Just then, Sam's phone rang. He looked down to see who it was, and when he looked back up at Lucy, Lenora, and Past Damon, his eyes widened in shock. "Excuse me," he said. "I have to go take this. I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

Damon shut his phone, put it back in his pocket, and strode back to sit next to Stefan at the bar. "That was the weirdest conversation I've ever had," he said.

"Why?" Stefan asked. "What happened?"

"Well, I was just making my weekly call to check on Sam and he sounded weird," Damon said. "He kept asking if it was really me he was talking to and then wondered aloud how I could be in two places at once."

"Why would he ask something like that?" Stefan asked.

Damon shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, it didn't sound like he was drunk or anything. He sounded genuinely confused, almost frightened."

"Well," Stefan said, "Wait and see if he calls again. That might clear things up."

* * *

But Sam didn't call again. The next person Damon heard from was Lucy.

"I bet Sam sounded pretty weird on the phone today, huh?" She asked. "You're probably wondering what that was all about."

"Was he drinking before I called?" Damon asked. "Could you tell?"

"No," Lucy said. "He wasn't drinking. What really happened was...you're not gonna believe this, but _you're_ at the house. Old you._ Human _you."

"How the hell is that possible?" Damon asked.

"Lenora told me she cast some sort of spell for Uncle Elijah to help him learn about Mom when she was human. She sent him back in time, and when Astrid had her undo the spell, not just Elijah came back to the present. You did too. I don't know how that could have happened, though."

"Just a second," Damon said. "I might be able to tell you how." He took the phone away from his ear and shut his eyes, a memory he hadn't thought of in years coming back to him.

"I was fighting with him," he told Lucy finally. "Elijah was putting the moves on your mom and I didn't like it, so I fought with him. I was chasing him away from the house, we were throwing punches, and then suddenly, there was a bright light and next thing I knew, I was..."

"...here?" Lucy finished quietly. "In our time?"

"Yes," Damon nodded. "I saw your mother and she was so...fat and I just...there was all this machinery I didn't recognize, and people I didn't know. I got back home eventually, and I would have had a hell of a time explaining to people where I went. But luckily for me, they just assumed that I got drunk at the tavern and wandered off somewhere. I never corrected them."

"That's so sad!" Lucy said. "Are you seriously telling me that the first thing people thought of when you went missing was that you got drunk and wandered off and so they weren't moved enough to go look for you? That's _horrible_! I would have gone to look for you. Even if I was the only one."

Damon grinned against his phone. "I know you would, Cookie Monster," he said. "I know you would."

"Lenora's working on finding a way to get you back home," Lucy said after a moment of silence. "Other you, I mean. So don't come home now, or things will be really messed up."

"Yeah, I know," Damon said. "I saw _Back to the Future _one, two _and_ three. I know all of Doc's warnings by heart."

"Well, good," Lucy said. "Time travel problems aside, though, I _do_ miss you a lot and I know this thing with Dad is a big pain in the ass, but he'll get over it eventually. I just have to humor him a bit, make him feel like we've bonded, and then it will be okay for you to come back."

"Yeah, but think about how long that's actually gonna take?" Damon said. "It could be years!"

"And we have those!" Lucy said. "We have lots and_ lots _of years."

"Yeah, but what if I can't wait lots and lots of years?" Damon asked. "Or if I don't want to?"

Lucy sighed. "Damon, I'm sorry. But this is my father we're talking about, okay? My actual, biological father. And for whatever reason, mostly Mom and her issues, we didn't spend a lot of time together when I was growing up. And now that I'm thinking about getting married, he feels threatened. I think it's very important that I make him understand that I love him too, all right? Besides, it's not like you're all alone over there. You have Stefan for company."

"Well, I can't sleep with _him_, can I?" Damon snapped.

"Look at it this way," Lucy said. "When you get back and we're finally together again after so long, it'll just be so much better because it'll be like a reward after we both went through so much."

"Damn you, you little vixen!" Damon muttered under his breath.

"Good night," Lucy said cheekily. "I _love_ you!"

"Yeah, sure you do," Damon said. "Good night, Lucy."

* * *

"I can't believe you went back in time just to see me," Selina said to Elijah the next day. "It was so sweet, but you didn't have to."

"Yes, I did," Elijah said. "Everyone else knew about your human life except me and I wanted to know. I realize that asking you might have been easier, but that's not the same as first hand experience."

Selina nodded. "Well, at least now I know where Damon disappeared to all the time he went missing. I always _knew_ that he hadn't gotten drunk at a tavern and wondered off somewhere." She looked at Elijah. "So, what did you think of human me?"

"Well," Elijah said thoughtfully, "You were very direct, weren't you? You said essentially that I was boring and you wouldn't want to marry someone like me, ever."

"That was only at first," Selina reminded him. "Then we kissed and you made me forget you and I never saw you again. You _do_ realize how _not_ screwed up my life would have been if you'd stayed."

Elijah grinned at her. "Would you have been willing to endure the smug look on your mother's face if we _had_ been able to marry when you were human?"

Selina shook her head. "Actually, that probably would have killed me, so it's a good thing we had to wait. Not to say that it didn't hurt after I turned and I remembered everything again."

"That's why I didn't erase your memory when I sent you away from Paris to save you from Father," he said. "I realized how much it hurt you the first time. And I don't blame you for behaving toward me the way you did when you and Niklaus were first together. In a way, I kind of deserved it."

"Well, you were the guy," Selina said. "You _are_ the guy, and when a woman loses _the guy_, it does things to her." She paused. "Just one thing, though: It _still _wouldn't hurt you to be just a _little_ rakish."

* * *

"Elijah!" Alistair said a few hours later. "Come in. What was it you wanted to talk to me about? Not another time travel spell, I hope. I heard your first one didn't exactly go smoothly."

"Yes," Elijah said, trying to avoid Alistair's eyes. "It didn't exactly go as well as planned, but I'm sure it will work itself out in the end. No, I actually came because I wanted to ask you about something else."

"Well, come sit down and we can talk," Alistair said. "Can I get you a drink?"

"No, thanks," Elijah said, walking into the living room and sitting down. "I'm all right."

"So," Alistair said, sitting down next to him. "What's on your mind?"

"It's something Selina said," Elijah told him. "She told me that it wouldn't hurt me to be rakish."

"And?" Alistair replied. "Did that bother you? What's the problem with it?"

"Well, I'd like to think that I'm not a boring person, but sometimes I think I bore Selina and I don't want that to be," Elijah said. "I want to excite her. I want to captivate her and make her feel desirable and fascinated by me, rather than just seeing me as the man who makes her stay home and watch our children every time something exciting happens. But I just don't know if I can do that by myself. Could you help me? Could you do some sort of spell that would make me, say...more like Niklaus?"

Alistair sighed. "I could, but honestly, do you really think this is the right way to fix your problem? Couldn't you at least _try_ to light up naturally?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "I need magic!"

Alistair looked at him for a long moment and sighed. "Fine," he said. "Then I'm sorry. I can't help you."

* * *

"Your grandfather is against this," Elijah said when he showed up at Lucy's the next day and Lenora let him in. "So could you help me with something?"

"What do you need?" Lenora asked. "Grandma says I'm not allowed to send you back in time anymore."

"Oh, it's not that," Elijah assured her. "It's something else entirely. I want you to make me more fun. Can you do that?"

"Why can't you be fun by yourself?" Lenora asked.

"Because it's just not the way I am," Elijah said.

"How come you want _me_ to do it?" Lenora asked. "How come Grandpa Alistair wouldn't help you?"

"Because he thinks I should try and do things by myself too," Elijah told her. "He gives me much more credit than he should."

"So you want me to make you more fun?" Lenora asked.

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Take my inhibitions away. Make it so I'll do anything!"

"Well, okay," Lenora sighed. "But don't blame me if something goes wrong." She went and got a book and opened it, along with a small wooden box, which she kept open beside her. She began muttering words under her breath. Suddenly, there was a large gust of wind that came from nowhere, mussing Elijah's hair and clothes. It was so strong it knocked him off his feet. He opened his mouth to try and get a breath and white, wispy air went from his mouth and into the box Lenora had brought with her. She shut it quickly. "I can't lose this box," she said. "It's got all your sense in it."

Elijah stood up slowly. "So I'm fun now?"

Lenora shrugged. "You _should_ be. Go and see. Do something that you wouldn't normally do. Oh, and could you just keep this a secret between us? Please?"

"Sure," Elijah nodded and, grinning, patted Lenora on the head. "Thanks, kid. Now I'm off to see if this magic of yours really works."

* * *

The first thing Elijah decided to do after he left Lucy's was to get himself a new wardrobe. His suits didn't exactly scream "Here is a man who is fun." He drove to the mall, parked his car in the parking lot, and strode inside, passing the store where he usually got his suits and looking around for a place that sold casual wear. He finally found one and strode up to a pretty saleswoman.

"This is going to sound ridiculous," he said to her. "But I came here to buy my first pair of jeans and I don't exactly know how to find ones that fit properly. Help me."

She looked at him and nodded. "All right," she said. "Come with me."

They went over to the shelves that had jeans on them and she looked at him. "Do you know your pants size?" She asked. He told her and she grabbed a few pairs of jeans and led him to the dressing room. "Try these," she said. "They should fit right. And after you do that, we'll get you some t-shirts to go with them. I assume that since it's the first time you're trying on jeans you don't have t-shirts either?"

"Nope!" Elijah called back. "I don't have any t-shirts either." Elijah tried on the jeans and they all fit except one pair, which was a bit small, and then when the saleswoman came in to get all his purchases for checkout, he grabbed her, putting one hand on her mouth and compelling her not to scream as he took a long drink from her, then making her forget it. After that, he cleaned himself up and he and the saleswoman picked out t-shirts for him. By the time they finished picking out things, they both had to carry the shirts and jeans. They piled them up at the checkout counter and she rang everything up. "That will be $550 please," she said cheerfully. Elijah locked eyes with her. "But I already paid for everything," he said. "Remember? So I think I'll just take my things and be on my way. You have a good day now." The woman nodded, put everything in bags and handed them to him.

"Have a good day," she said. "Do you think you'll be able to handle all that stuff by yourself?"

"Yes," Elijah said, hefting the bags. "I'll be fine."

He took them out to his car and drove them home.

* * *

Elijah got back to the house and went inside, put the bags with his jeans and shirts in it down and looked around for Selina. "Babe?" he called. "Are you home?"

When he got no response, he laughed to himself, picked up the bags and went to stand in front of the mirror in his and Selina's bedroom. He stripped off his clothes so that he was standing only in his boxers, then removed a pair of jeans from the bag and put them on. They fit like a glove, just as they had in the store when the extremely eager saleswoman had watched him try them on. He buttoned them, zipped them up and grinned. Oh, yes. He looked good. As he gazed at himself, he heard a gasp. "Oh, my god!" Selina said. She ran into the room and pushed him against the wall to get a good look at him. "You're wearing jeans! You look so hot! Do they fit right?"

Elijah grinned. "I believe so," he said. "But why don't you have a look for yourself?"

Raising an eyebrow, Selina ran her hands over his bottom and gave it a squeeze, and then ran over the crotch with her fingers. Elijah shut his eyes and groaned. "Crotch seems a little tight," Selina said to him with a wink once she took her hand away. "But if you think they fit fine, who am I to contradict you?"

"How long has it been since you've been out of this house just for fun?" Elijah asked Selina.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Why?"

"Well," Elijah said, pulling her to him so her head rested on his shoulder. "I was thinking we might go out. All you'd have to do is get yourself a sexy dress, preferably in blue to go with your pretty eyes and I think we could have a good night."

"It sounds like a good idea," Selina said. "But just so you know, with the size that I am, I don't think anything could make me look sexy. And just to warn you, I spend most of my day with kids under five, so I'm not even sure I know _how_ to have an adult conversation. You might think I'm too boring."

"Well, I never said we had to talk," Elijah whispered in her ear. "Unless you want to, that is. I did have _other _things besides talking in mind..."

Selina looked at him in amazement. "Other things? In public? Really?" She hugged him. "I can't wait!" she said. And with a mischievous twinkle in her eye finished with: "I _especially_ can't wait to do the naughty things!"


	30. Losing Her Innocence

"Now, remind me why we can't just get the stupid cat and go home?" Adrian asked Helene as they dressed for another party that night. "We came to get a stupid cat and so far, all we've done is have mindless conversation with a bunch of women who treat me like shit they stepped in. What's their problem, anyway?"

Helene sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that...witches don't usually marry outside of their kind, and when they do, it's not looked on favorably. But thank you for behaving yourself. It means a lot to me. As for why we can't just get the cat and go home, Adrian these are people I haven't seen in years. They're my friends and my parents' friends and I've missed them a lot."

Adrian scoffed. "You should have just brought Lenora. I bet they would like her, even though technically she's an 'abomination' too."

"Oh, I'm sure they don't think you're an _abomination_," Helene said, sitting next to him.

Adrian nodded insistently. "They do! One woman whispered it to another woman, and someone else said, "He may be an abomination, but he's a handsome one and I'd let him clean my pool any day." He scoffed. "Maybe my dad had the right idea after all. Maybe it would be best to just enslave every last one of them."

"Adrian, please," Helene said. "You couldn't do that. There are too many of them. They'd overpower you and take you down in a second. So for now, just hold your tongue, be civil, and I'll see if I can't straighten things out with everyone, okay?"

Adrian shrugged. "Fine, whatever. I don't care." He lay down on the bed with his eyes closed and his shirt off. Helene looked down at him and began stroking his hair. "You poor guy," she said. "You put up with a lot, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," Adrian muttered so she could hear. "And you're damn lucky, Helene."

Helene sighed. "All right," she said. "Enough pitying yourself. Get up! Put your shirt on! Put on your shoes."

"No," Adrian said. "I don't want to. Tell them that I'm sick or something. I doubt that they'd miss me."

Helene smirked. "I can't tell them you're sick. They'd never believe that."

"Fine," Adrian replied. "Then tell them the truth. Tell them I just don't like them and see what they say."

"No," Helene said insistently. "Either you dress yourself or I magically dress you. You know how pleasant that is. So which is it gonna be, Adrian?"

Adrian shot up to a sitting position. "Why is it so important to you that I come with you?" He shouted. "Tell me that, Helene, and then I _might _just consider getting up, getting dressed, and coming with you."

Helene sighed. "Well, okay. I didn't want to have to tell you because it's kind of awkward, but one of the guys that's here is a childhood friend of mine and everyone was always real hot to see him and me together, so unless you come with me, unless we make it abundantly clear to everyone that we are a couple and together and everything, they're gonna try and shove me together with him and I doubt you want that."

That finally got Adrian out of bed. "Are you serious?" He asked. "Helene, if you are just messing with me so I'll come with you, I swear-"

"No!" Helene shook her head. "Adrian, I swear I'm not messing with you. I'm serious. Now please, get dressed and let's _go_!"

"Fine," Adrian said. "But the next time a really awkward function comes up for _my_ side of the family, I am going to remember this and I am going to make you come."

"You don't have to _make_ me come," Helene said primly, throwing a blue polo at him. "As my father's daughter, I'm obligated to come. Between the two of us, it's the only way to keep peace at your family functions."

Adrian gave her a sour look, put on his shoes, and the two of them left the room, just in time to run into Astrid, who was coming down the hallway toward them. "Oh, here you are," Astrid said. "Good. Everyone was wondering. They sent me to look for you."

"We were talking," Helene said. "That's all, Mom. But we're coming down now and we're sorry we made everyone wait."

They followed Astrid in silence, keeping their eyes on her blonde head as they left the hotel where they'd been put up and got in her car to head to the building where the witches' council had their offices.

The three of them reached the door to the building and Astrid went inside, but Helene paused at the door and reached for Adrian's hand, taking hold of it and grasping it tightly before pulling him along behind her.

The first person they saw when they reached the reception room was a young man with dark hair wearing a tux. He approached Helene with a grin on his face, and, taking no notice of Adrian standing behind her, embraced her gently and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

When he pulled away, he finally noticed Adrian. "So," he said to Helene, "Who's your friend?"

"I've told you already, Eric," Helene said. "He's my-"

"I'm her husband," Adrian interrupted. "We're married and everything. And we have sex _every_ night. Usually during the day too."

Eric looked uncomfortable. "I'm not sure I wanted to know that, but thank you. I'm gonna go now."

He left and Helene glowered at Adrian. "What the hell was that about? Why do you think you need to broadcast the details of our sex life to someone you don't even know?"

"Well isn't that the guy everyone wants to set you up with?" Adrian asked. "Cause I was just trying to make it abundantly clear that you're with me. That's all."

Helene scoffed. "Really? Why don't you just pee all over me? That would be an easier way to mark your territory, wouldn't it?"

"Well, I'm sorry!" Adrian said. "I wasn't trying to cause trouble. I just-I have to say I'm not exactly comfortable knowing that there's a guy around here who wants to steal you away from me. Last time that happened, you _died_!"

"Do you not trust me?" Helene asked. "Do you think that once I see him, I'm gonna forget all about you and go running into his arms? That's not gonna happen! I _love_ you!"

"You hear that?" Adrian said to another guy who was at the food table picking up baby carrots and broccoli. "She loves me!" He pulled Helene to him and kissed her deeply. Helene let this go for just a second before she pushed him away from her. "You're starting to act like your father and that's not good when we're in public! Remember the rules: You and act like your uncle Elijah in public and your father-"

"-Behind closed bedroom doors, I know," Adrian finished with a roll of his eyes.

Helene nodded. "That's right. And just so you know, that _wasn't_ the guy everyone wants me to be with. When I see him, I'll point him out to you so you don't make a bigger ass out of yourself than you already have."

"Well, good," Adrian said. "That's all I ask."

"Now here comes Esmerelda," Helene said, gesturing at an older lady with blue eyes whose hair was a fiery red that obviously came from a bottle. "She works with my mom."

"You made it, Helene!" Esmerelda said, hugging her. "When you and your...friend didn't come, we were worried."

"Well, we're sorry to have kept you waiting," Helene apologized when she let go. "We were having a talk and we lost track of time." She paused and gestured for Adrian to come closer, which he did, reluctantly. "And Esmerelda, Adrian is not just my friend. He's my husband. We have a daughter. Her name is Lenora. We couldn't bring her this time, but next time there's a function, I promise we will so you can meet her."

"And I'll be more than happy to stay at home," Adrian added before Helene elbowed him in the gut. "I mean," he recanted, "so pleased to meet you." He held out his hand, but Esmerelda ignored it and said dismissively, "Yes, I'm sure you are." Then, she walked away from them and over to Astrid. "How is it that you allowed your daughter to marry that..._that_?"

"Oh, Adrian isn't bad," Astrid tried to assure her. "He's really a very nice boy if you're nice to him. _Are_ you being nice to him?"

Esmerelda shook her head. "I see no reason why I should be. Is there one?"

"Well, yes! Of course there is!" Astrid said indignantly. "For one thing, it's just good to be decent to people no matter who or what they are. I shouldn't have to give you any other reason than that." She walked away from Esmerelda and toward Adrian and Helene.

"How are you doing?" Astrid whispered when she reached Adrian. "Are you okay?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "Astrid, I'm really not. I'm doing my best to be civil, but it doesn't seem to be having any effect on anyone."

Astrid sighed. "I know it's a tough crowd, but just keep in mind that this is the only time you'll ever have to associate with these people. Helene would never subject you to it again." She looked sternly at her daughter. "Would you, Helene?"

"Well, I had good intentions when I brought him!" Helene said. "I thought that if I brought him and people saw the two of us together, it would make it clear that I was with someone and they would back off, but apparently not."

"My advice," Astrid said to the two of them, "don't drink anything anyone gives you, no matter how thirsty you are."

"Why would she say that?" Adrian whispered.

Helene shrugged. "I don't know, but I think it would be best to listen, don't you think?"

* * *

"Where are you going?" Lenora asked Lucy as the latter grabbed her coat and headed to the door. "You can't leave! What about Damon?"

"You have to send him back," Lucy said to her. "You can do that by yourself, can't you? I have to go see my father."

"Oh, can I come too?" Lenora asked. "Daddy's never actually let me be in the same room as him before."

"And I think things should stay that way until your father says otherwise," Lucy said. "Your father has reasons for thinking what he does about Daddy. So you will stay here and focus on getting Damon back to the past, all right?"

"Okay," Lenora said, looking deflated. "I'll stay here."

"Good," Lucy said. She looked at Lenora's sad expression and said, "Hey, it's not like I'm going to my dad's to have fun. If it were up to me, I wouldn't go at all, but he feels that we're not bonding enough and he won't let me marry Damon until he feels that he and I have sufficiently connected. So I have to go. That's just how it is."

"Well, all right," Lenora said, giving her aunt a hug. "And by the way, I know I've never said this before, but I'm sorry I did the spell that made you big. I could take it off now if you want."

"Oh, no, no, no!" Lucy said quickly. "Don't you dare. It's done wonders for me."

"Well, okay," Lenora said. "I just thought I'd put the option out there."

"Dad?" Lucy called. "I'm here! What sort of bonding thing would you like to do now?"

"He's not here," Caroline said, coming toward her. "He left. He's gonna be back later in the day, though."

"Oh," Lucy nodded. "Okay."

"So are you gonna go?" Caroline asked. "Or do you want to stay?"

"Why shouldn't I stay?" Lucy asked. "You and I are close, right? And it's not like I have a lot of company at home, what with Damon being gone and everything."

"About him," Caroline said, "maybe you could use this time apart to really evaluate your relationship and decide if being married to Damon is something that you really want to pursue."

"Of course it is!" Lucy said. "Caroline, what is your problem with Damon? Why is it that every time I mention him, you come up with some reason why we shouldn't be together? Is there something about him that I should know? What do you know that you're not telling me?"

Caroline sighed. "I suppose you're old enough to hear this now, although I doubt you'll believe me since you have such a rosy view of him, but a _long_ time ago, Damon and I were a couple."

"You were?" Lucy asked. "Like how long ago?"

"Like when I was still human," Caroline said. "Back then, he was obsessed with a vampire named Katherine. She was the one who turned him and he believed with everything he had in him that he loved her. But right after he was turned, she was taken away by people in Mystic Falls who were hell bent on killing every vampire they could find. Katherine was caught and supposedly entombed underneath our old church, her body preserved by her witch Emily. It took years and years, but finally, he was able to connect with a descendant of Emily's, my friend Bonnie. The thing is though, witches and vampires often have deep mistrust between them and he knew Bonnie wouldn't just _do_ the magic to help him rescue Katherine, so he compelled me to convince her for him. It didn't quite work, but it went on for awhile. And when I wasn't convincing Bonnie to do the spell for him, he and I were-" She paused here, tears in her eyes.

"You were what?" Lucy asked quietly. "Caroline, you have to tell me."

"I know," Caroline said. "Just a minute. This is hard. It's not something I try and think about anymore." She took a deep breath, steeled herself, and looked Lucy in the eye. "We were in a sexual relationship," she said. "Not that I had any choice, of course. He compelled me to believe that I wanted to be with him sexually. And he convinced me that I was stupid and that no one else would want me." Her voice broke and she started to cry. "I was at a very bad place in my life at that point and I just didn't have the strength to get away."

She looked up at Lucy, her eyes red, tears falling down her cheeks. "_That's_ why I've always wanted you to be careful with Damon," she said. "I didn't want him to treat you the way he treated me. I know you probably don't believe me. You probably think it's something that I'm making up to ruin your life. But it _did_ actually happen, I swear. It's something you need to know and you can do with it what you want."

Lucy froze. "I-I don't know what to say," she said quietly. "I don't want to belittle what happened to you, or call you a liar, because I care about you and I know you care about me, but Damon-he's always been good to me, ever since I was a little baby, all right? He took me and Mom in when things weren't going so well between her and Dad. He bought me toys. He played with me. He read me storybooks and took care of me. He _saved_ me from being bitten by a werewolf by letting himself get bitten, even when he _knew_ the only way to get cured was Dad's blood and it was questionable that he'd get it. And because of that, I'm gonna talk to him about it before I believe you completely. He deserves to tell me what happened himself. I owe him that much."

Caroline nodded. "Okay," she said. "Are you going to go talk to him _now_?"

Lucy nodded. "I think I have to," she said. "If I don't address this now, it's just gonna eat away at me. And I don't want it to." She sighed. "When Dad comes, will you tell him that I stopped by and will see him later?"

"Sure," Caroline nodded. "I will."

Lucy nodded and got up to leave. She reached the door and stopped, turning around and running back to give Caroline a hug. "I'm sorry," she said. "If Damon tells me what you told me, if he confirms everything that you went through, I am _so_ sorry." Then she let Caroline go and headed back to the door again. "I should probably leave before I lose my nerve and just let this go."

Caroline nodded. "Good luck. And I'm sorry too. For when Damon tells you the truth. It's always hard to have people you've idealized for so long revealed to be flawed, even evil."

"We'll just see about that," Lucy said and shut the door behind her. She drove home, praying hard that Lenora hadn't sent Damon back to the past yet. When she reached the house and Lenora met her at the door, the first thing she said was, "Did you send Damon back?"

"No," Lenora said, her eyes cast down. "I didn't yet. I'm sorry."

"No, no!" Lucy shook her head. "That's _good_ because I have to leave again, I might be gone for awhile, and someone needs to watch you."

Lenora nodded. "Okay. Where are you going?"

"I have to see Damon," Lucy said. "I need to ask him something really important. While I'm gone, you and Damon are not to leave the house, okay? Just stay inside and watch movies or something."

"Okay," Lenora nodded. "I promise we won't leave. Would you tell Damon I say 'Hi'?"

"Sure," Lucy nodded. "I'll tell him that. Bye, sweetie. I shouldn't be gone long."

Lenora waved goodbye and Lucy got in her car, calling Stefan as she pulled out of the driveway.

"Hi, Stefan. Where are you? And is Damon with you? I have to talk to him. No, that is _not_ a euphemism for something. Caroline told me something really disturbing about him and her and I want to hear from him if she's telling the truth or not. Yeah, okay. I should be there in about an hour."

* * *

"Lucy's gonna be here in an hour?" Damon asked Stefan. "That doesn't give me a lot of time to prepare things, does it?"

"I wouldn't be so happy about it if I were you," Stefan said, putting a hand on Damon's shoulder. "She said she found out about you and Caroline and wants to find out if it's true or not."

"What?" Damon asked, his eyes wide. "How the fuck did she find out about me and Caroline? She wasn't supposed to know about that! Ever!"

"Well, she does," Stefan said. "So what are you gonna do about it? Are you gonna tell her the truth, or are you just gonna lie to her?"

"Well, what do you think I should do?" Damon asked.

"Tell her the truth," Stefan said. "She's old enough to hear it."

"I don't know if I _can_ tell her the truth, Stefan," Damon said. "I just...I don't know if I can."

"Why not?" Stefan asked. "Why is it so hard?"

"Because!" Damon burst out. "Stefan, she is the _only_ woman in my whole life who's always seen me as a good person, all right? I know I've screwed up a lot in the past and I can't take any of it back. But Lucy never knew any of that. All she knew was that I was a good person that she loved. She always believed in my goodness, that I was capable of loving and being loved. And it was _because_ she didn't know about Caroline or any of the other bad stuff that I've done. Once people hear about my bad deeds, there's no going back. They taint all opinions of me. Now that Lucy's heard about Caroline, she's gonna think of me as the bad guy just like everyone else." He sat down. "Maybe if I tell her the truth, she'll be so upset she'll break up with me. That's the silver lining, isn't it? If she breaks up with me, I won't have to live with the guilt."

"I think you're not giving her enough credit," Stefan said. "But I can't control your thoughts, so obviously, you'll think what you're gonna think."

They sat in silence with Damon rocking back and forth nervously on the bed until they heard a knock on the hotel room door, which caused Damon to start violently. "I have to go," he said. "I have to!" He got up to run toward the door, but Stefan reached it first, pinning Damon against the wall by his shoulders. "Come in, Lucy," he called.

Lucy opened the door and came in. Her eyes were red and wet and her cheeks were puffy. "Hi," she said. "Damon, I have to ask you about something and I need you to tell me the absolute truth. _Please_."

Stefan looked Damon in the eye. "If I let you go, will you run? Or will you sit next to Lucy on the bed and tell her the truth?"

Damon sighed. "You can let me go, Stefan," he said. "I'll tell her the truth."

"All right," Stefan nodded. He slowly released his brother and Damon went to sit next to Lucy on the bed. He reached out to put his arms around her, but she moved away. "I don't want you to touch me," she said. "I just want to know if what Caroline told me happened between you and her is true. I don't want it to be because you've been nothing but good to me all my life, but at the same time, I don't know why she'd make something like that up, so I wanted to give you a chance to confirm or deny her story."

"Lucy, I-" Damon opened his mouth, but no words came out. He tried again and again with the same result. Finally, he was able to speak. "This was a very opportune moment for Caroline to tell you this," he said. "First, your father ruins our wedding, and now she goes and tells you this story. All they're trying to do is pull us apart!"

"So is it true or is it not true?" Lucy asked. "_Did_ you do all that bad stuff to her?" She refused to be swayed from her question.

Finally, he said, "Yes. Yes, I did. I was in love with a woman who was entombed by magic and I did whatever I had to do to get her out. Caroline was collateral damage in that pursuit."

"Well, are you sorry for what you did?" Lucy asked. "Please tell me you're sorry at least."

"There's something you have to understand about me, Lucy," Damon told her. "When I love someone, they are all that matters to me. I will do whatever I have to in order to make them happy. Nothing and no one else matters to me. So, I guess, to answer your question, I'm not sorry for what I did to Caroline. She hates my guts and I'm okay with that. She has every right to. What she _doesn't_ have the right to do is poison your mind with bad thoughts about me just because she had a bad experience with me." He paused. "So I've told you the truth. I assume you want to end things between us now?" He held out his hand. "I'll be wanting the ring I gave you back."

"No!" Lucy said. "I'm not gonna break up with you and I'm _not_ giving you back your ring. At least not yet. But I _do_ think we need to take a break from each other because there's clearly more to you than I ever wanted there to be and I need to really think about whether or not we should go on like this. Cause the image of you that I've had my whole life has been shattered into a million tiny pieces and I need to decide whether I can take the good with the bad. If I can, then we'll stay together, but if I can't, I'm gonna let you go because I don't think it's right for me to expect you to be this perfectly good person all the time. You should be able to act like a vampire without worrying whether or not I might judge you for it. Is that fair?"

"Well, what am I supposed to do while you figure things out?" Damon asked. "How long will that take? Like a week? Two?"

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know _how_ long it will take. I'm sorry. But I'm sure you can find some way to entertain yourself in the meantime. I'm sure there are plenty more unwitting, innocent girls for you to torture."

"Bye!" Damon said. "See you later!"

Lucy just shook her head at him and left the room. She managed to keep a straight face until she reached her garage and got out of the car. Then, she burst into tears, ran inside her room and shut the door with a bang.

"Are you all right, Aunt Lucy?" Lenora asked a little while later. "Why are you crying?" She climbed up in bed beside her and patted her on the back.

"I just had my rose-colored glasses taken off," Lucy said. "I learned some things about Damon that weren't very nice and because of those things, we're temporarily broken up."

"What sort of bad things?" Lenora asked.

"You're too young to hear about specifics," Lucy said. "But they were really _bad_ things. I should have figured, right? Damon was almost _too_ good to me, and now that I know the truth about him, it can't be taken back. I can never have the Damon I knew before today back again."

"Maybe you could," Lenora said.

"How?" Lucy asked.

"Well, if you wanted, I could send Damon from now back in time and keep Damon from the past here," Lenora suggested. "I bet human Damon's still a good person."

"But can you _do_ that?" Lucy asked. "Isn't that illegal or something?"

"Why?" Lenora asked. "We're sending a Damon back and keeping a Damon here, just like things are supposed to be. We just switched them around."

"Oh, my god," Lucy said, brightening up. "Lenora, you're right! I could _kiss_ you! Send Damon back in time and let the one who's here stay here. At least until I tell you otherwise.

"Okay," Lenora nodded. "I'll do that, Aunt Lucy."

* * *

As Lucy lay on her bed, she heard a soft knock on the bedroom door. She let it go on for a little while before she called for the person to come in. The door opened and Damon stood in the doorway, fidgeting with his suspenders. Finally, he let them go and approached the bed. "I know Lenora sent the other me back," he said. "Why did you let me stay? I shouldn't be here!"

Lucy stared up at him. "Yes, you should be here!" She said insistently. "You are a _good_ person! You've never killed anyone or anything like that, right?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "I haven't. Why does that matter?"

"Because!" Lucy grabbed him by his lapels and pulled him close enough to her that their lips were practically touching. "Because I have just had my heart crushed, okay? All my life, you've been this perfect man to me. I thought you'd never hurt a fly. But I found out that you abused my-let's call her my friend-Caroline, just for the sake of this conversation-and my whole world has just shattered. I don't know who to turn to anymore! That's why I need you to stay here with me and tell me everything is gonna be all right and that you're a good person!"

Damon strained against her grip on his lapels. "You're hysterical," he said. "Why don't you let go of me and then you can rest and everything will be better once you wake up."

Lucy slowly released him and backed away before lowering herself back onto the bed. Then, Damon tucked her in. "Sleep well," he said. He made his way to the door before Lucy said, "Damon, wait a minute."

He turned. "Yes, Lucy?"

"May I...may I have a good night kiss?" She asked quietly. He looked at her for a long moment and then walked back to the bed, giving her the briefest of kisses on the forehead before standing up straight again. "Sleep well," he repeated. Lucy reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"I need a _real_ kiss," she said. "You know how to do those, don't you?"

"Well, yes I do," Damon said, running his fingers through his hair. "But since I'm your father, I doubt that would be appropriate."

Lucy shoved the covers aside and sat up. "You know, you're not really my father," she said, hopping out of bed and approaching him. "I just told you that so your time here would be less awkward to explain, but since you're gonna be here awhile, you might as well know the truth: You're not my father. You're my fiance. And we kiss all the time. You wouldn't want to disappoint me, would you?"

Damon sighed. "I still think you're hysterical, but if a kiss is what will make you finally calm down, I suppose it wouldn't hurt me to oblige. Especially if you're telling the truth and I'm not your father."

Lucy nodded. "I am and you're not. Now pucker up!"

But before Damon could even get his lips ready, she pulled him to her and planted a big one on him, her hands going down his back and over his bottom. Damon had planned for the kiss to be brief, but he found that he enjoyed it more than he thought he would, so he prolonged it. When they finally stopped to get a breath, she grinned wickedly at him. "Maybe you were right earlier," she said. "Maybe I really _am_ a prostitute after all."

* * *

In the days following Lucy and Damon's break-up, Lucy spent so much time with Klaus that Caroline began to feel neglected.

"Who's that?" Roxie asked one day when she found Caroline looking longingly at an old picture of Tyler.

"No one," Caroline said quickly, shoving the photo back under her side of the mattress. "It's no one. And did _no one_ teach you to knock before you enter a room?"

"Sorry," Roxie said. "But seriously, who is that? He's handsome."

"It's Tyler," Caroline said. "He was my husband, he was a werewolf, and now he's dead."

"Can I see the picture?" Roxie asked.

"What are you gonna do with it?" Caroline asked.

"I just want to look," Roxie said. "I won't mess up the picture. I _promise_."

Caroline reluctantly handed her the picture and Roxie looked it over. "Why do I feel like I recognize this guy?" She asked. "Should I recognize him? Does that sound crazy?"

"Not entirely," Caroline said. "He's a distant cousin of your mother's on your Grandmother Amelia's side. He's a Lockwood."

"Oh," Roxie nodded. "Right. So, why are you looking at this picture of him? Just a walk down memory lane, or...?"

"I don't know if I want to tell you," Caroline said. "We're not exactly close."

"Come on," Roxie said. "Give peace a chance, would you? I mean, I could be willing to turn over an entirely new leaf between you and me. Would you believe that?"

"No," Caroline said immediately.

"What if I told you that I've noticed how much Lucy's been relying on Dad and I kind of feel bad for you?" Roxie asked. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nothing that I can think of," Caroline said. "Not unless there was some way to bring Tyler back to life. Maybe seeing me with him would light a fire under your dad's butt and make him pay attention to me. But that's not possible, is it?"

"It _could_ be possible, maybe," Roxie said. "But you'd have to trust me. "Are you willing to do that?"

"Maybe," Caroline said. "How in the world are you planning on bringing Tyler back to life?"

"Well, my Aunt Anna can do magic," Roxie said. "She usually restricts it to turning men who reject her into fuzzy, adorable puppies that she later eats, but ever since she and Stefan got married, her magical ability's kind of been put on the back burner. I'm sure she'd love the opportunity to start practicing again."

"Wait," Caroline said, putting a hand up. "You mean, you're actually offering to help me for real? What do you want in return?"

"Nothing!" Roxie said. "Nothing at all, I promise. Just tell me where Tyler is buried and we can jump start the process."

"He's buried in Mystic Falls," Caroline said. "There's one cemetery there and it's not hard to find."

"All right," Roxie said. "Sounds simple enough. I'll go talk to Aunt Anna and see what I can do."

* * *

"You want me to _what?" _Anna asked after Roxie told her the plan.

"I want you to come with me to Mystic Falls and bring this Tyler guy back to life so Caroline will fall in love with him again and get the hell away from my dad," Roxie said. "I assumed you'd be on board with the plan. You dislike her as much as I do."

Anna nodded. "That's true, but I don't want to do anything that might upset your dad."

"The whole point of this is that now Dad is so involved with bonding with Lucy that he no longer even notices Caroline is alive," Roxie said. "I doubt he'd even notice she was with someone else _much less_ that it would upset him. So will you do it? Please?"

"It's gonna take a lot of magic," Anna said. "And I have a vague recollection of it being illegal to bring people back from the dead with your magic."

"Even if it is, it probably doesn't apply to you," Roxie said. "Technically you're not a witch. You're a vampire who just happens to be able to do magic. You're not subject to witch rules."

"Well, I wouldn't think so," Anna agreed. "So whatever. Let's give it a shot. But I _will_ need a few days to get my magical batteries recharged. Can you wait a few days?"

"Of course," Roxie nodded. "Take all the time you need. I'm not in a rush."

* * *

"Where are you going?" Vince asked Roxie a few days later as she made her way out the door and out to her car, having just ended a conversation with Anna.

"Will you shhh!?" Roxie asked. "I_ have _to go somewhere, and this is like, the one place I can't take Addie, so I don't want her to know where I'm going, otherwise she's gonna pitch a fit!"

Vince frowned. "Where could you possibly be going that you couldn't take Addie? Are you gonna do something bad?"

"No!" Roxie said. "Of course not. Aunt Anna and me are just going to help a friend. And to help said friend, we have to go to a cemetery. And Addie is to young to go to a cemetery."

"Mama!" Addie came running out and attached herself to Roxie's leg, her blue eyes big, staring up at her mother.

"Hi, sweetie," Roxie said, patting Addie on the head and reaching down to grab her. "You have to let go of Mommy now. She has an errand to run." She tried to pull Addie off of her leg, but Addie wouldn't let go.

Roxie sighed. "I suppose I could take her to my dad's. She likes it there."

Vince nodded. "True. And I need to run to work real fast, so..."

"Remember," Roxie interrupted. "You can't take Joey there because of how he's supposed to be dead now. Hazel could stop by at any time, see Joey, and then Enid could get in big trouble, so don't take him to work with you."

"I won't," Vince said. "I'll drop him off with Tessa. He likes Tessa."

"Yeah," Roxie scoffed. "Other than you, he's the only one."

"Don't forget your brother," Vince said with a smirk. "Adrian likes her too. As a friend, but he still does."

"Yeah, whatever," Roxie said. "I know you're trying to mess with me and it won't work!"

Vince grinned. "You can't blame me for trying though, can you?"

* * *

"Roxanne!" Klaus said. "And Addison too, how nice! Come in, won't you?"

"Thanks," Roxie said. "But I really can't stay. I just came to drop off Addie. Aunt Anna and I are doing something together soon. It wouldn't be too much trouble for you to watch Addie while we do that, would it?"

"Of course not," Klaus said. "But there's just one little thing." He led Roxie into the living room where a little girl with dark hair and big blue eyes like Addie's sat on the sofa. When she saw Klaus, she reached up for him eagerly. Klaus picked her up and went to sit with her on a recliner. She sat on one of his knees, snuggling against him.

"What's Laura doing here?" Roxie asked, clutching Addie protectively.

"Selina and Elijah decided to bond all day today," Klaus said. "They asked me if Caroline and I would watch Laura and I said 'Yes'. I had no idea you'd need me to watch Addison too."

"Oh, it's not your fault, Dad," Roxie said. "And who knows? Maybe Laura will be better behaved this time. I guess I have no choice but to believe that, cause I need to go and meet Aunt Anna like, _now._" She put Addie down told her goodbye, gave her a kiss and then left. Once she was gone, Addie sat on the floor staring at Klaus and Laura, who were still sitting in the recliner. Then, she got slowly to her feet and approached them, climbing up on Klaus' other leg. Laura watched this with displeasure and then reached out, pulling Addie's hair and trying to push her off his knee. Addie fought back as best she could, but just wasn't strong enough.

Attracted by the noise the girls were making, Caroline came into the living room and pulled them apart, picking Addie up and taking her to sit in another chair.

"Why didn't you stop the two of them from fighting?" She asked Klaus.

"Because," Klaus said, "They're strong girls. They'll heal right up. And it makes me have flashbacks to the old days when Roxie and Selina would fight and fight-"

"That's something you remember _fondly_?" Caroline asked.

Klaus nodded. "Maybe a little."

"I hate seeing poor little Addie get beat up so bad," Caroline said. "Laura's just a bully, that's all."

"You can't blame Laura for being stronger than Addie," Klaus said. "Laura is the daughter of an Original; Addie is the granddaughter of one. Naturally, that makes Laura the stronger of the two. It's just a fact. I'm sure that Addison is perfectly capable of sticking up for herself. She just needs to have the chance."

After a wait of a few seconds, Caroline brought Addie back over to Klaus and Laura. "It's okay," she said calmly. "You can sit there if you want."

Addie looked at her and then turned back to Klaus, cautiously reaching out. Much to Laura's surprise, Klaus picked her up, put her on the floor, and then took Addie in his lap instead. Laura let out an angry shriek, got up and ran off.

"Let me guess," Caroline said. "That's like the good old days too?"

Klaus nodded. "Like you wouldn't believe."


	31. Love Anywhere, Any Place, Any Time

"Here you are!" Anna said as Roxie drove up to her house. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming. That you'd lost your nerve."

"Me?" Roxie asked, getting out of the car. "Pffft, no. I ran into my husband on the way out and he subjected me to a totally unjust interrogation cause he thought I was up to something bad, and then my daughter figured out I was leaving and threw a fit, so I had to drop her off at Dad's, and then I came here."

"So you _are_ still up for this?" Anna asked. "Good. I didn't want to think you'd chicken out at the last minute."

"Why would I do that?" Roxie asked. "This whole venture was my idea."

"I know," Anna nodded. "But things happen and sometimes you just don't know with people."

Roxie narrowed her eyes. "Let's just get in the car, shall we?"

Anna gave her a look and after she put a few more things in the trunk, they got in the car and drove away from the house.

"You didn't tell anyone about this, did you?" Anna aked Roxie.

"No," Roxie shook her head. "Did you? But what does it matter, anyway? You said that it wouldn't get you in trouble!"

Anna sighed. "I know that's what I said before, but now I'm not so sure, all right? It _could_ get me in trouble. Which is why we had to be absolutely sure about this enterprise before we did it, cause it could very well be the last thing I ever do if I get caught!"

"And yet you're doing it for me?" Roxie asked.

"Yeah," Anna nodded. "You and your dad. I always thought he could do better than her."

"Well," Roxie reached for Anna's hand. "In case something _does_ happen to you, I think I'll thank you in advance in case I can't do it later."

"Oh, stop!" Anna said. "We can't lose our backbones now, can we? We can't let a little bit of doubt prevent us from doing what we're going to do!"

Roxie cleared her throat. "You know, you're right. Thanks for that."

Anna nodded. "Any time. Now, where exactly is this Tyler buried? Did you find out?"

"Yeah," Roxie nodded. "In the one cemetery that exists in Mystic Falls. And I think the town itself is not that far from here."

"No," Anna shook her head. "I don't think it is either." They drove in silence for a little while before Roxie said, "You _do_ know where we're going, right? Because I don't."

"Don't worry," Anna said. "I know. But it might be best to stop somewhere else for the day, you know, and then go into the town at night so we can dig the guy up without being disturbed."

"Oh..." Roxie sucked in a breath.

"What?" Anna asked.

"Nothing," Roxie said. "I just didn't realize that we were gonna be gone all day. I only thought it would take a couple of hours."

"I'm sure your dad would be all right with watching Addie all day," Anna said. "But if it will relieve your mind you can call him and anyone else you need to to let them know you'll be out longer than you originally thought."

Roxie nodded. "It might be best if I do that. If I don't let Vince know I'm gonna be out late, he'll _definitely_ assume I'm up to no good, and although what we're doing might seem bad, if you look at it a different way, we're actually doing something good for someone, right?"

"Why are you babbling so much?" Anna asked her. "Are you nervous? Please don't tell me you're nervous."

"No!" Roxie said, looking affronted. "I am _not_ nervous. Just drive!"

They drove in silence, no noise in the car but the radio, and even _that_ got to them after awhile. When they were fifteen minutes away from Mystic Falls, they saw an out of the way strip mall and parked in the parking lot. They shopped in the stores until nightfall and then continued on their way to Mystic Falls.

* * *

When they drove into Mystic Falls, everything was quiet. They didn't see a single person out and about. They parked their car near the cemetery and got out. Anna immediately handed Roxie a shovel and gestured for her to go inside the cemetery gates.

"But I don't even know where I'm going!" Roxie whispered back angrily. "How about you give _me_ the flashlight, I'll find his grave, and then you can meet me there with the shovels?"

Grudgingly, Anna handed Roxie the flashlight and she edged her way into the cemetery, being careful not to trip over tree roots or tombstones.

"This would be _so_ much easier if I knew where Tyler was actually buried!" Roxie muttered to herself. "We're gonna be here all night!"

She began walking around the cemetery in an aimless fashion until she tripped over a tree root that sent her sprawling on her face in the dirt.

"Ow, shit!" Roxie yelled. Anna came running over, dropped the shovels, and pulled her up. "Ssssshhh! We don't want to wake anyone, remember? Now, have you found the tombstone yet?"

"No," Roxie said. "But give me a break. Graves are small and it's dark."

"Well, that's what you have the flashlight for!" Anna said, waving it in front of her.

"Wait a minute," Roxie said, realizing they were standing in front of a large mausoleum. "This looks plenty big and Tyler _is _from the ruling family of this town. Maybe he's in here." She shown the flashlight on the mausoleum and then groaned in disappointment. It said **Forbes** not **Lockwood**, like they'd hoped.

"Well, this is good," Roxie said. "At least it narrows down the amount of places we have to look, right?"

"Don't stand there talking about it!" Anna snapped. "Just keep looking. I'm gonna go put the shovels away!"

"But-" Roxie called after her. Anna didn't hear. She was already walking away. Sighing, Roxie continued to tromp around the cemetery looking for the right mausoleum while Anna put the shovels back in the car. As Anna shut the trunk of the car, she sensed someone behind her. She turned around and saw a middle-aged man in dirty overalls, a plaid shirt and a baseball cap.

"Hello," she said.

He tipped his hat. "Well, hello to you. May I ask what you're doing here this time of night?"

"We're doing what anyone who comes to a cemetery does," Anna said. "We're visiting family. Is that wrong?"

"Well, not technically, no," he said. "But here's the thing, little missy: Visiting hours are from dawn to dusk. So it might be best if you got on your way."

"I don't think I should have to," Anna said. "Who are you to tell me what to do?" The man, who Anna assumed was the cemetery caretaker, stood his ground. "If you don't go, I'll call the sheriff and _he'll_ deal with you."

"I have a much easier solution to our problem," Anna said. She grabbed him and sank her fangs into his throat, sucking greedily. When she finally let him go, he stumbled around woozily until she banged him hard on the head with the shovel and he dropped to the ground. Then, she picked up his body and carried it into the cemetery.

"Oh, my god!" Roxie said when she saw. "Who's that?"

"The caretaker," Anna said, throwing the body on the ground. "He was gonna make trouble for us and I had to stop him."

"Well, I found the right mausoleum," Roxie said. "It's a ways from here. Are we gonna dump the caretaker's body in when we take Tyler's out?"

"No!"Anna said to her. "Don't be ridiculous. We'll bury him at the cemetery edge. I doubt anyone will miss him."

"So are we gonna bury him and _then_ get Tyler's body?" Roxie asked. "I think we should do that."

They quickly buried the caretaker near the cemetery gates and then lugged the body they presumed to be Tyler's out of the mausoleum.

"So you're positive we got the right body?" Anna asked Roxie as they drove away.

Roxie shrugged. "I don't know. I only saw one picture of him, but it looked like it'd been in there the least amount of time. I think we picked the right body."

"We _better_ have," Anna said. "It would suck to have done all that work only to bring the wrong guy back to life."

* * *

Selina got dressed for dinner that night in a blue dress with a swishy skirt. Then, she looked at herself in the mirror, groaned and sat down on the bed, refusing to leave the room. Finally, she heard a knock on the bedroom door.

"Are you coming?" Elijah called. "Let's go!"

"No!" Selina called back. "No, thank you. I don't think I want to."

The door opened and Elijah strode in, looking down at her. "What's the problem?" He asked.

"I just...I don't like how I look," Selina said.

Elijah groaned and rolled his eyes. "Not this again," he said. "How many times do I have to tell you you're beautiful before you finally believe me?"

"I don't know," Selina said. "But one more time never hurts."

"All right," Elijah sighed. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. The dress doesn't make you look fat. If anyone at the restaurant stares at you, it's because they're jealous of how pretty you are. Now can we _go_? We're coming up on our reservation!"

"Those didn't sound like very sincere compliments," Selina said, eying him balefully. "I don't think you meant them at all."

Elijah began rubbing his temple. "You suck it up and come to the car with me right this minute or I will _make_ you feel better about yourself, okay? I will literally compel you to be okay, because I do not find this 'poor me' act of yours charming. Do you understand me?"

"Well, fine," Selina said. "Geez! What's wrong with you? Did someone poke you with the grumpy stick today or something?" She picked up her purse, followed him out of the house, and the whole ride to the restaurant, she wondered what was wrong with him.

* * *

When they reached the restaurant, Elijah opened the car door for her and took her arm, and when they got inside, although the man at the desk looked happy to see them, the first question out of Elijah's mouth was "We're not late, are we?_ Some_ people chose tonight to dawdle." He gave Selina a harsh look and she just stuck her tongue out at him.

"No, no!" the man said to Elijah. "You're fine. Just in time. Come right this way, please."

As Elijah took Selina's hand, his expression relaxed. He pulled out her chair for her when they reached the table, and was smiling when he took the seat across from hers. "This is a nice place, isn't it?" He asked her.

Selina nodded. "Well, yeah, it is. Listen, are you okay? You seemed out of sorts earlier. Not as even-tempered as you usually are."

Elijah took her hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry," he said. "I just didn't want to be late. You _know_ how I hate to be late for things."

"Yeah," Selina said. "I guess that's true." She sighed. "I'm just glad things are better now." She picked up her menu and grinned at him over it. "So what is it that you're thinking of eating tonight?"

Elijah grinned. "Put your menu down," he said.

Selina put her menu down. He leaned forward and kissed her, biting her lip so that he tasted a bit of her blood. The kiss deepened. Her arms went around his neck and his hands went to her breasts. When she felt that, she stopped the kiss abruptly.

"What did you do that for?" Elijah asked her as they sat back down. "I was enjoying myself."

"Everyone was looking at us!" Selina said.

"So?" Elijah asked her as he put his napkin in his lap. "In the past you've proposed doing things in public that were much worse than what we just did. Why are you choosing to be embarrassed now?"

"I don't know," Selina said. "I just-are you _sure_ you're okay?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Never mind," Selina said. "Let's just think about what we're gonna eat, okay? Personally, I think the chicken looks good. I've always liked chicken."

"If you don't mind my saying so," Elijah said, "_You're_ much tastier than anything the menu has to offer. I think I'll forego an entree and wait until I can nibble on _you_. And if you're worried about privacy, there's a nice little gazebo we could go to out back overlooking the lake that would keep us safe from prying eyes."

"Well, all right," Selina said. "But I'm sure that it can wait until after _I _eat, right?"

Elijah rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever."

Selina ordered the chicken parmesan and a glass of apple juice. She ate it slowly, savoring every bite and trying hard not to laugh at Elijah, who watched her intently the entire time, just _waiting_ for her to finish. When her chicken was gone and the waiter came to take her plate, he asked if she wanted dessert. "Sure," she said. "The chocolate cake, please."

The waiter walked away and Elijah frowned. "You didn't really need the cake!" He whispered angrily. "You're just dawdling to irritate me!"

"No, I'm not!" Selina said calmly. "He asked if I wanted dessert, and I did. I happen to like chocolate cake. You and your _needs_ can wait a little while longer. It's not gonna kill you."

Her cake came and he watched her eat it, his entire body tensed up, a muscle in his cheek jumping every time she swallowed a bite. But he dropped this attitude after a little while and finally relaxed. Selina thought everything was okay until she felt his foot moving gently up her leg.

"Oh, my god!" she said. "Footsie? Seriously?"

He grinned and raised an eyebrow, leaning forward until they were almost nose to nose. "You know," he said. "I bet if you came outside with me, you'd forget you even wanted the cake in the first place because I'd give you something better."

"No offense," Selina said, her mouth full. "But me giving you a blowjob is not better than chocolate cake. At least not at the moment. Now, the sooner you stop talking to me, the sooner I will finish my cake and the sooner we can go outside. Is that reasonable?"

Looking resentful, Elijah nodded and let her finish her cake in peace. They paid the bill and left the restaurant, going straight to the gazebo.

"You know," Selina said as Elijah shut the door behind them. "This is actually a cozy little place."

"Yeah, yeah, it's really nice," Elijah said. He eased her up against the door and kissed her deeply. They pulled out of that kiss and then he kissed down her neck.

Selina was breathing hard now. "Maybe this would be easier if we were lying down," she suggested. "There's a bench in the corner that would be long enough for us." They paused long enough to make their way to the bench and he lay her down on it so she was looking up at him. He got down on his knees beside her and slipped off her shoes, his hands going up her legs and over her thighs. When he reached her panties, he rubbed the fabric against her until she let out a squeal and then slowly slipped her panties off, pushing her skirt up over her stomach. He stuck his finger inside her and she moaned. Then, he got on his knees on the bench and unzipped himself, easing into her. She let out a shriek and then he pulled out and eased into her again. When she was panting and covered in sweat, he got off the bench and began taking off his pants. "Okay," he said. "It's my turn now."

"Seriously?" Selina asked. "Right this minute? Can't I have a _little_ bit of a break?"

He let both his pants and his underwear fall and stood before her proudly, displaying everything he had. "Are you _sure_ you want a break?" He asked.

In spite of the fact that she really _was_ tired, Selina felt herself slowly sitting up and making little whimpers as she stared at him. He came to sit next to her, grinning wickedly. "So do I get my turn, or are you too tired?"

"Suddenly, I'm feeling so full of energy," Selina said.

Elijah nodded. "I thought you'd say that." As she pleasured him, the door to the gazebo suddenly opened and they found themselves face to face with two wide-eyed old ladies. They stared openly for a minute or two before they were finally able to get a word out. "Sorry," the one in the front said. "We didn't know anyone was in here."

Selina looked up angrily and hissed at them, her fangs bared. "Well then why don't you just go away?" But when they didn't move, she charged them, sinking her fangs into both of them and sucking until they were both too weak to get away. Then she looked guiltily at Elijah. "Sorry," she said. "I know you hate it when I do that."

"Now why would that be?" Elijah asked as he put his pants on again and came to look at the bleeding women. He looked them over. "It looks like there's enough left in them for me," he said. "Are they any good?"

"Passable," Selina said. "And they smell like violets."

"Have you had your fill?" Elijah asked her. "Can I have the rest?"

"If you want," Selina said. "Be my guest. I'll be in the car."

Selina sat alone in the car for several minutes until Elijah finally knocked on the window.

"You know," he said, "Since we were interrupted by those two horrible women, I propose we continue what we were doing."

"Must we?" Selina asked. "Wouldn't it be more comfortable to do it in bed?"

"Where's the excitement in that?" Elijah asked her. He started undoing his pants again.

Selina rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. He positioned himself the right way, and as Selina's tongue swirled around him, he felt content. But just as he was about to come, she suddenly stopped.

"What did you stop for?" Elijah asked angrily, sitting up. "You were doing so well!"

"I, oh god! Ow! For the love of god, why!" She was clutching her stomach and as he got closer to her to ask again, she let out a scream. In the middle of this noise, he put a hand over her mouth. "What the _hell_ is going on?" He whispered, then took his hand off her mouth. "Labor," she whispered. "Baby coming. Take me home!"

Elijah frowned. "Now? The baby's coming _now_? It can't be right this second. Let's finish what we were doing and then I'll drive you home. How about that?"

She punched him in the face. "If you don't drive me home and call Astrid right this minute, I swear I am going to rip off your head!"

"How could I drive you home and call Astrid if my head is ripped off?" He asked.

"Oh, just fuck! This is no time for that! Just take me home unless you want your son to be born in the backseat of a car!" She said with gritted teeth before letting out another shriek.

Reluctantly, Elijah zipped his pants and got in the front seat having to hear Selina scream and yell all the way home.

* * *

When they reached home, Elijah hustled Selina inside, earning himself a dirty look or two. She managed to get herself in bed and undressed, then Elijah called Astrid, who came racing over. "Am I late?" She asked. "I know how your kids don't waste time coming." She looked Selina over. "Oh, no. You're not even fully dilated yet. This is gonna take awhile."

"Oh, really?" Selina exclaimed. "Shit!" Astrid was proven correct. Selina was in labor for several more hours. Every hour or so, Elijah would come in and ask "Is it here _yet_?" And then leave when they told him no. After Selina's seventh hour of labor, around two in the morning, Elijah looked at Astrid severely. "Listen here," he said. "I don't care what you have to do. You get that baby out right now. Do you understand me?"

"I'm sorry," Astrid said. "But this isn't something you can force. The boy will come when he comes. You have to be patient. Now if you don't mind, would you leave? You're just getting in the way."

"Fine," Elijah said. "Tell me when something actually happens."

And that wasn't for another five hours. Around seven in the morning, little Colin finally saw fit to poke his head out into the world. Hearing his cries was wonderful for Selina. Once he was out, she just fell asleep and didn't wake up again for a long time. Meanwhile, Astrid cleaned Colin up and went to introduce Elijah to his new son.

* * *

Adrian and Helene woke up the next morning and found themselves sitting next to each other in a large cell with a barred door.

"Remember when your mother told us not to drink anything they gave us?" Adrian asked Helene, putting his hand to his head. "She wasn't kidding."

"What the hell's going on?" Helene called, striding over to the bars and yelling at the jailer. "Why are we in here?"

"You're supposed to stay in here until you agree to marry Owen." The jailer said.

"Well, then, I'm afraid we're gonna be in here a long time!" Helene said. "Because as everyone clearly saw, I'm already married and I have no intention of marrying anyone else."

"Fine," the jailer said. "Whatever. Suit yourself." He turned away from her and Helene strode back to the bench and sat down.

"What's going on?" Adrian asked.

"Oh, nothing," Helene said. "They just want me to marry someone else and have decided to imprison me until I do. That's all."

"But you're not gonna do it, right?" Adrian asked hopefully.

"Well, of course not, Adrian!" Helene snapped. "It offends me that you even asked me that."

"What are they gonna do now that you've said you won't listen to them?" Adrian asked. "Are they gonna drug you with a love potion?"

"It's possible," Helene said. "But the chances are very slim. Love is something too powerful to mess with. Even though there *are* love potions out there, if you use one on someone, there's a practical guarantee you'll get caught and sent to Mr. Black."

"Who's Mr. Black?" Adrian asked.

"He's kind of like the bogeyman for witches," Helene told him. "If you break any of the cardinal rules of magic, _especially_ messing with love, you get sent to him and I understand the consequences are terrible, so I don't think the witches would risk forcing a marriage between me and Owen even if that's what they really want. I doubt they'd be that foolish."

"But what if they _are_ that foolish?" Adrian said. "Helene, don't drink anything or eat anything!"

"But come on!" Helene said. "I need to eat!"

"Well fine," Adrian said. "You can eat whatever you want, but I'm tasting it first, in case there's any weird witch poison in it."

Helene seemed pretty certain the witches wouldn't try to whammy her mind with a love potion, but when someone came with their lunch, before Helene could put any in her mouth, Adrian snatched it out from under her nose and scarfed it down in seconds.

"Hey!" Helene said. "That was my lunch! What did you go and eat it all in that greedy way for?" She watched him, but he didn't answer her. Suddenly, a look of peace eased his features. His eyes became bright, a smile curved his lips, and he grabbed her, kissing her deeply. "You're pretty," he said when he let her go. "Have I told you that before."

"Yeah," Helene said. "You tell me every day." She squirmed as Adrian began kissing her neck. "Honey, stop! We're in jail! There's nothing romantic about-Oh, my god!" She grabbed hold of the small piece of hamburger that was left on the plate and noticed red liquid flowing out of the meat. To the untrained eye, it would look like blood, but Helene knew better. "Love potion," she whispered. "They must _really_ be desperate for me to marry Owen."

A few minutes later, a young man with dark hair and dark eyes came to the cell holding a key. "Helene, everyone said you wanted to see me. And they told me that once you did, I should let you out of the cell."

"Sorry, Owen," Helene said as she tried to push a very amorous Adrian away from her. "I didn't want to see you. It was a mistake. Apparently, the council is so desperate for us to marry that they put a love potion in my food and then sent you down here in hopes that you'd be the first person I'd see, forgetting that they stuck Adrian, my _husband_ who I _love_ in the cell with me. Their stupidity astounds me sometimes."

"Oh," Owen said. "Well, anyway, here's the key. And remember that if two people who love each other have love potion together, it makes things even more intense."

Helene took the key and said, "Thank you, Owen. Thank you so much." Once he was gone, she picked up what remained of the burger, ate it, and when the guard came to check on them because of all the noise they were making, he just grinned, shook his head and walked away.

"What was all the noise?" Esmerelda asked him. "Tell me this instant!" The guard just grinned some more. "Conjugal visit," he said.

"Oh," Esmerelda said. "It's a little early, but we _did_ use a very strong potion."

* * *

Lucy knocked on Damon's door around noon and found him standing near his window, fully dressed. "How did you sleep?" She asked him. "All right?"

He turned and nodded. "Yes," he said. "And you?"

"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "Not bad."

They stood in silence and then she walked over to him. "Listen, um, would you like me to, um, wash your clothes? You probably don't want to be in them for too much longer."

"It's a nice thought," Damon said. "But I don't know if it would be a good idea for me to accept. I don't have anything else to wear. If I would have known I'd be going forward in time, I would have packed a bag."

"Oh, it's okay," Lucy shook her head. "Just take off your shirt and take off your pants and I'll probably be able to figure out what size you wear.

Damon's lips curved into a grin. "I think I would like to take you home with me," he said. "I think my father would dislike you if he met you."

"Why?" Lucy asked. "What did I do?"

"Well, you can't deny that you just asked me to undress right in front of you," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "You're very direct. I like that in a woman."

"I wasn't asking you to undress so I could I have sex with you," Lucy corrected him. "I was asking you to undress so I could figure out what size clothes you wear and go and get you some new ones. Now come here!" She pulled him to her and began unbuttoning the buttons on his shirt. He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her.

"What did you have to go and do that for?" Lucy said when he pulled away.

Damon grinned. "Well, why not?"

"Because!" Lucy said. "I don't know if I can sleep with you. It might not be right."

"It's because I don't have money," Damon said. "Is that it?"

"No!" Lucy shook her head. "Have you not been listening to anything I say? _I am not a prostitute! _I am your fiancee! I sleep with you all the time! And only you, too! I know your body just as well as or even better than you do!"

"Is that so?" Damon asked, looking intrigued. "So you're my mistress."

"Well, yes," Lucy nodded. "In the sense that we have sex and we're not married, yes, I am your mistress. Although sexual rules are much more relaxed today than they were in your time."

"So I pay your expenses while you do your art," Damon said.

"No," Lucy shook her head. "Mom's rich, as you know, and my father's richer than you'd believe, so I'm financially independent. I'm also a fully certified genius."

"Really?" Damon asked.

"Uh-huh," Lucy nodded with a grin.

"Do you suppose there's any way I could take you to meet my father?" Damon asked her. "Despite your loose attitude about sex, if he met you, he might actually like you."

"Maybe," Lucy replied. "But let's focus on the present, shall we? I need your shirt and your pants."

Damon grinned. "Gladly," he said. He took off his shirt and his pants, handing them to her while she stared at him in awe.

"Excuse me," she said. "I need to go talk to someone about something. _Now_."

"All right," Damon said, getting on the bed and giving her a grin. "You go. I'll just be here waiting for you."

"Oh, for the love of god, _why_ must he be so attractive?" Lucy muttered to herself as she ran out to her car. "He makes me question every moral I have!" She pulled out of the driveway and zipped over to Alistair's.

"Alistair!" She yelled. "Alistair, I need you for something. Quick!"

"Yes, what?" Alistair asked, running toward her. "Lucy, what in the world is the matter with you?"

"I want to have sex, but I don't know if I should," she said. "I thought I should ask you if it was okay."

"Of course it is," Alistair said. "You are a mature, responsible young lady. Don't let any of the ridiculous things your father thinks make you believe otherwise."

"No, it's not that, but thank you," Lucy said. "Here's the problem: You remember that when Lenora sent Uncle Elijah into the past to see Mom, he brought Damon back with him, right?"

"Uh-huh," Alistair nodded.

"Well, I just found out that Damon has done some things in his past that I don't like. I've decided to separate from him temporarily to evaluate whether these things are worth ending our relationship over. So that I am not distracted, I had Lenora send Vampire Damon back into Human Damon's time, and Human Damon is currently here, in this time, in my bed. Naked. He wants to sleep with me, but I don't know if I should. Would it mess up time if I did?"

"Usually, I would say 'Yes,' " Alistair said. "But there are rare occasions when messing with time is actually beneficial. Take your mother and Elijah for instance: If he hadn't gone back in time to learn about her human life, or if he'd done it the approved way witches handle time travel, then he and your mother never would have met and fallen in love at all."

"Oh, my god!" Lucy said. "That's _true_, isn't it?!"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "As for you and Damon, didn't you ever wonder why it was _you_ he was so attached to in spite of your age difference?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "I mean, we've kind of run the gamut of how to relate to each other, haven't we? He's been a father figure to me, he's now my fiance-"

"Exactly!" Alistair said. "Think about it. It's you making an impression on him _now_ that makes him fall in love with you later. Sleep with him, spend time with him. Tell him everything about yourself that you possibly can. Then, make him forget about it when you send him back. When he becomes a vampire, he'll remember you and you'll be his ideal woman, even more than your mother. He'll have to wait quite awhile for you, but when you're born, he'll finally be able to put two and two together and realize that you'll grow into the woman who loves him more than any other ever has."

"So you're telling me I _should_ sleep with him?" Lucy said.

"Yes," Alistair told her. "Just as long as you don't forget to pick up pills or something on the way home first. Remember he's human, so you _could_ get pregnant if you forget and I don't think you're ready for that."

"No," Lucy agreed. "I'm not. Thanks again, Alistair!" She got in her car and grabbed pills at the drug store on the way home, and when she reached the house, she sprinted up the stairs and charged through the door, peeling off her skirt and top and placing them on a chair. Then she jumped into bed with Damon who was still waiting for her, just as he said he'd be.

She kissed him deeply. "Sorry I made you wait," she said. He flipped her over so that he was on top and grinned down at her as he ran his hands over her body. "You know," he said, "You're a very good kisser."

She grinned. "I'm the best one you'll ever have. And don't you forget it!"


	32. Bring Me to Life

Lucy handed Damon his neatly folded clothes. "Here," she said. "I washed them and everything. They also smell nice." Damon sniffed. "Oh, they do, don't they?"

Lucy nodded. "Well, I'll just leave you alone to get dressed then, shall I?"

"I don't see why you need to leave me alone," he said. "It's not like my body is a mystery to you. You've already seen everything. Why don't you stay?"

"Well, what's the point?" Lucy asked. "I can't stay in bed with you all day. It's impractical. I have things to do and people to see and if I just stand in here and watch you get dressed, I won't be able to accomplish anything!"

"And what's the problem with that?" Damon asked. "Why does everything have to be about how much you can accomplish in an hour or a day? Why does everything have to be a big rush? You know, where I live, we don't worry about things like that."

Lucy nodded. "Of course not! Because where _you_ live, you don't actually have to _do _anything, do you? You have people who do it all for you and let you be lazy every second of the day. I couldn't stand living like that. I couldn't."

Damon's eyebrow went up. "Well have you ever tried? It's really not as maddeningly boring as you make it out to believe."

"I sincerely doubt that," Lucy said.

"Well, it didn't take long for you to form a less than favorable opinion of me, did it?" Damon asked, dressing quickly.

Lucy looked up at him. "If the next thing you tell me is that I sound like my mother, I won't be happy. I hate hearing you tell me that. I want you to like me for being myself, not her."

"I wasn't going to say that, actually," Damon said. "I believe your mother would encourage me to stay home, with her. Whereas you, you'd want me to fight in the war, wouldn't you? If you were in my time, I mean."

Lucy nodded. "Well, of course," she told him. "You'd be accomplishing something, fighting for a cause. Even if slavery is not the best cause to fight for, it's something. Tell me, how could you _not_ want to fight? Why is it so unappealing to you?"

"I don't want to fight because I don't want to die," Damon said. "It's that simple. I don't care if it's selfish to want to preserve my life, but that's how I feel. And please don't expect me to change. I'm happy the way I am." He paused. "But what about you? Tell me, are you happy the way you are, Lucy?"

"Yes," Lucy nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. It's just that...when we were in bed, you were laughing, you were smiling, you were relaxed. And now you're not. Now you just seem angry. What can we do to make you smile again?"

"Well, you could stop talking to me and let me run my errands," Lucy said. "Getting my list of errands done always makes me happy."

Damon nodded. "Well, all right. I suppose that will have to do for now."

Lucy nodded. "Thank you for understanding. But when she put her hand on the doorknob, he spoke again. "Lucy wait," he said. She turned. "What?" she asked. "And make it quick."

"All right," he said and strode over to her, pulling him to her in a firm hug. Lucy was surprised and resistant at first, but then she felt herself relax. He let her go all too soon. "I hope that helps," he said.

"Actually, it does," Lucy said. "Thank you." She paused. "Would you mind coming on my errands with me? You know, for the company?"

"Of course," Damon said. "It would be my pleasure." He offered her his arm and the two of them walked out to her car, driving into town with the radio on loud.

* * *

"Damon? Are you all right? Where have you been?" Vampire Damon woke up on the ground, the sun in his eyes and feeling someone poking him and saying his name.

"Damon!" The voice said again. "Get up, will you?"

"Stop poking me!" Damon said. "Stop poking me and maybe I'll feel like getting up!" The poking and talking stopped and Damon was able to slowly sit up, noticing that his head and his back hurt and he felt a little nauseous. He blinked a few times and saw Stefan standing in front of him looking worried.

"Here you are!" Stefan said. "Where have you been? No one's heard from you for _days_! Did you have too much to drink at the tavern again?"

Damon looked down at himself and then looked back up at his brother. "Sure, why not? It seems like as good an explanation as any, right?"

Stefan took his hand and helped pull him up. "Do you need to hold on to me to get back to the house?" Stefan asked him. "Or can you walk by yourself?"

"I would usually say I could walk by myself, but now I'm not so sure," Damon said. "You might want to hold on to me."

Stefan nodded. "I will do that. Then we can get you home, get you cleaned up, and changed so you look presentable."

"Wonderful," Damon told him. "Sounds great. I can't wait." As he and Stefan walked back to their house together, he couldn't help thinking bitterly, Mystic Falls, 1863. Home, sweet home. Not. Anywhere Lucy wasn't could not be called his home.

After Stefan helped him clean up and dress, Damon got into bed. "I'll tell Father that we found you," Stefan promised. "You won't have to do it yourself."

"And I just know Father will be happy to know I'm safe," Damon said. "I bet he's been worrying about me forever!"

"I realize you and Father have your differences, but please don't talk about him in that way," Stefan said. "He really cares about you, even if he doesn't show it well. How could he not? You're his son."

Damon put his arm over his eyes. "Would you just go and let me rest, please, Stefan?" He asked.

Stefan nodded. "Of course."

Stefan went to the backyard where his Father was reading a paper. "I found Damon, Father," he said. "I cleaned him up and now he's in bed recovering."

Giuseppe didn't even look up. "I know I can always trust you to be discreet, son. If anyone asks where he was, just say he's been ill and has only recently become well enough to receive company."

"Yes, Father," Stefan said obediently, even though he knew that everyone suspected Damon had been the run after having too much drink. The good thing was that everyone always pretended otherwise. That was a cardinal rule for living in their society: When it came to unpleasant things, everyone just pretended they didn't exist and things were peaceful enough.

Just then, he saw a carriage pull up and a pretty redhead get out. "It's Louisa Forbes, Father," Stefan said. "Would you like to go greet her or shall I?"

Giuseppe turned a page of his paper. "Would you do it, son?" He asked. "I would appreciate it."

Stefan nodded. "Of course, Father. Excuse me."

Giuseppe gave him a barely perceptible nod and then Stefan strode over to the carriage where Louisa's skirts were being straightened by her maid.

"Hello, Louisa," Stefan said, bowing slightly. "How nice to see you."

"Hello, Stefan," Louisa returned. "I came to call on your brother. I heard he was ill. I made him some cookies."

"Oh, I don't know if Damon's well enough to receive company yet," Stefan said quickly, moving in front of the door to the house.

"I don't know why you're so worried," Louisa told him. "The reason why he's having such trouble recovering is that your house lacks a strong female presence. Five minutes with me and I promise you Damon will be as well as he was the day he was born."

When he still didn't move from in front of the door, Louisa elbowed him aside with a force that surprised Stefan and forced her way inside the house. Without stopping to say a word to anyone, she made her way up the stairs to the second level where Stefan and Damon's bedrooms were and knocked on Damon's door. "Are you feeling better, Damon?" She called. When he said nothing, she opened the door and went inside anyway. When she saw that Damon was attempting to get out of bed, she walked over to him and pushed him back on the mattress. "No, no," she said. "If you move around, you'll never get well. You have to stay in bed and let me take care of you."

"No, that's not necessary," Damon said. "I'm feeling much better, I promise."

Just then, the door opened again to an angry gasp. "Louisa!" Selina said angrily. "What are you doing in Damon's room?"

"The same thing that you presumably came to do," Louisa told her. "Only I'm certain I would do it much better."

"Get out," Selina said between her teeth. "_Now_."

"Why don't you make me get out?" Louisa challenged. "I would love to see you try."

"Well, all right," Selina said. "But remember that it was _you_ who challenged _me_." She punched Louisa in the face and in the eye, then Louisa pulled her hair and knocked her over. They rolled out of his room and into the hallway, yelling at the top of their lungs.

Damon sat frozen for a few minutes and then got out of bed, running to break them up.

"Why'd you stop me?" Selina asked as he pulled her away. "I could've had her! I could've had her!"

"I don't want you getting in fights for my sake, all right?" He said to her. "I don't like to see you get hurt. Do you understand me, Selina? Now, why don't you go downstairs?"

"Why should I do that?" Selina asked. "I won't leave you up here with Louisa! I won't!"

"You heard him," Louisa said to her. "He wants you to leave and he wants me to stay here. So you run along like a good girl and leave us be."

Damon nodded. "Please, Lina. Just do that."

"Well, all right," Selina said. "But just know that I am _not_ happy about this! And Louisa, the color of the blood coming out of your nose looks much more flattering than that _stupid _yellow dress you're wearing." And she skipped away before Louisa could so much as say another word.

Once she was gone, Damon looked at Louisa. "You're not gonna leave me alone until I let you help me, are you?"

"Oh, don't say it like that!" Louisa said to him. "I'm not going to do some dreadful torture on you. I care about you and I want you to be well. Now, as I said before, you should go right back to bed."

"You might want to wipe your nose," Damon reminded her.

"I'll do that," Louisa said. "But only after I'm satisfied you're taken care of."

Damon sighed. Normally, he would never have put up with this, but after the mess with Caroline, he felt he at least owed her family some sort of restitution, and karma was definitely biting him in the ass by forcing him under Louisa Forbes' thumb. By the end of it all, if he made it out alive, his debt to Caroline would be _more_ than repaid.

Finally, he was well enough in Louisa's eyes for her to let him go, at least for the moment. He had no idea how he'd gotten in this time, or how to get back. He just wished someone would tell him. Just as he was dozing off, there was another knock at the door, and his father strode in, an angry look on his face, followed by a little girl Damon recognized.

"This is Lenora," his father said. "She says she knows you. If it is for the reason I think it is, I don't think I need to say that I'm very disappointed in you. But I've said that to you so many times over the years that I doubt it matters to you anymore." Then, he turned on his heel and strode out.

Lenora closed the door and walked over to Damon's bed. "That man's a big meanie, isn't he?" She observed. "Who is he?"

"That's my father," Damon answered. "We're not close. Now, are you responsible for me being here?"

"Yes," Lenora said, averting her gaze. "Aunt Lucy told me to send you here. Other you is at home. I came to see if you were okay. And to let you know that I'll send you back if you want, no matter what Aunt Lucy says."

Damon shook his head. "Well, I'm not okay, but Lenora, look at me: If Lucy wants me here for whatever reason, if that's the only way she can heal from what she found out about me, then I don't want to go home. I'll stay here until she gets better."

"Are you sure?" Lenora asked skeptically.

Damon took her in his lap and said, "Yes, I'm sure."

* * *

"Do you really think this is gonna go okay?" Roxie asked.

"Well, of course it is!" Anna said as they hauled Tyler's body up on a table. "It's a little late to have doubts now."

Roxie looked away from the body. "I feel ill," she said. "The body smells terrible."

"Well, that's because he's been dead for awhile," Anna said. "And when bodies have been dead for awhile, they don't exactly smell like daisies you know."

"Yeah, whatever," Roxie said. "Let's just do what we have to do. This won't take long, will it?"

"Hey!" Anna said. "We're bringing a dead man back to life, okay? We're not turning on a light or whatever else a person can do that takes two seconds. It's a complex process, especially for someone who has only really done simple magic before!"

"You mean you have no idea what you're doing?" Roxie asked. "Well this is just great! You could have mentioned that before we went all the way out to Mystic Falls, broke into the cemetery, killed a guy, stole a body, and brought it all the way back here!"

"I wouldn't have taken you all the way to the cemetery if I couldn't figure out how to do the spell," Anna said to Roxie. "It's just gonna take longer than you'd like."

"Like how long?" Roxie asked. "And if it's a long time, aren't you worried that Stefan will figure out what we're doing and stop you?"

"I'm luckier than you," Anna said. "Stefan doesn't care what I do. Even if any normal person would, he doesn't ask questions and just lets me go about my business."

"Really?" Roxie asked. "Lucky you. Vince gets suspicious about _everything_ I do. He doesn't trust me at all!"

"Well I'm sorry," Anna said. "But you have to admit, you've given him a lot of things to be nervous about over the years. I don't blame him. He's a good guy and you're lucky to have him."

"I know," Roxie replied. "I'm not saying I don't love him. I'm saying that I wished he would just trust me. I feel like he's always trying to _fix_ me."

"Maybe it's cause he knows deep down you're better than you act," Anna said. "Personally, I think you are. You act like you're above it all, but deep down, you're good. I think Vince has good instincts."

"So what are you saying?" Roxie asked. "That you don't want me to help you?"

Anna sighed and nodded. "I think it might be best if you didn't. You wouldn't be much help with the actual magic anyway. You'd just be a distraction. So go home and be with Vince and I promise you, I'll get this done."

"No," Roxie shook her head, crossing her arms. "I'm not just gonna let you do this by yourself, especially if it will get you in trouble. You have to let me do something to help!"

Just then, one of the doors upstairs opened. "Hello?" Stefan called. "Anna, I'm back! Where are you?"

"It's Stefan!" Roxie said. "Want me to go upstairs and distract him?"

"Yeah," Anna nodded. "Why not?"

Roxie ran upstairs and found Stefan sitting down on the sofa. "Hi," she said.

"Hi," Stefan replied. "How are you?"

"Good," Roxie said. "If you're looking for Aunt Anna, she's busy with a project that requires peace and quiet. She told me to tell you that she'll need you out of the house for awhile."

"What?" Stefan asked. "Why would she need me out of the house? What is she doing?"

"Well," Roxie said, trying to think up a good excuse. "She's making a surprise for your birthday and she doesn't want you to know what it is."

"Why would she be making me a surprise for my birthday _now_?" Stefan asked. "My birthday is more than two months away!"

"Well is it so hard to believe that it's a very intricate present that will take time to make?" Roxie asked. "Just believe me, okay? I _saw_ it!"

"Anna's _making_ me something?" Stefan asked, looking intrigued. "That's so thoughtful."

"Exactly!" Roxie told him. "She's making you something that takes a lot of effort and concentration, so if you could just, you know, leave for awhile, until she tells you to come back, I'm sure she'd really appreciate it."

"Where is she right now?" Stefan asked. "Is she here?"

"Yeah," Roxie nodded. "In the basement. But don't go down there or it'll ruin everything!"

"What if I promise not to look?" Stefan asked. "I'm sure that if I promise not to look, she won't mind me being downstairs." He got up and strode toward the open basement door. "Anna, if you're down there, do whatever you need to do to hide my surprise, cause I have to come downstairs and tell you something."

"Is that really necessary?" Anna called back.

"Yes," Stefan called. "It is."

"Fine," Anna said. "Just a minute." There were a few minutes of silence and then Anna said, "All right. You can come down now and say what you need to say."

Roxie nodded encouragingly and Stefan went down to the basement. "Roxie told me you've been working on my birthday present. You know my birthday isn't for more than two months, don't you?"

"Yeah," Anna said, doing her best to conceal the table that had Tyler's sheet-wrapped body on it.

Stefan sniffed. "What is that smell? Is that a _body_?"

Anna nodded. "Yes, it's a body. I don't know why I thought I could hide it from you."

"I don't either," Stefan said. "Why don't you tell me what you're doing with it."

"It's a guy named Tyler Lockwood," Anna said. "He used to be married to Caroline Forbes, but he died and now Roxie asked me to bring him back to life so that he could be with Caroline and she'd leave my brother alone. I told her that I'd use my powers to do that even though it might possibly be illegal."

"Well, I don't know what to say," Stefan said. "I've done a lot of things in my time that are questionable, but I don't know what to say about this."

"Sure you do," Anna said. "So go ahead and say it."

"All right," Stefan told her. "I would prefer if you didn't do whatever the hell it is that you're thinking of doing. Not that I can stop you, because I can't, but since you've mentioned that you're doing something that might get you in trouble, and from the sound of things, possibly hurt, I think I should mention that if anything happens to you while you do this, I'm gonna be very lonely without you." He cleared his throat. "Now that I've said my piece, I'll go find a hotel room to stay in until you call me on my cell phone and tell me you've finished whatever it is that you're doing. Okay?"

"All right," Anna nodded. "I'll be careful. I promise. And Stefan?" He paused at the door and turned around. "Yes?"

Anna ran over to the door, threw her arms around him and kissed him. "Thank you," she said. "I'll work as fast as I can. I promise."

"I hope so," Stefan told her. "Because I can only play along with this for so long."

"Yeah," Anna said. "I know."

Stefan went upstairs to pack a bag and then went back into the living room where Roxie was still sitting on the sofa.

"What are you still doing here?" He asked her. "I thought you'd have gone home by now."

Roxie shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought I'd stick around...in case you needed anything."

"Anna told me what you two are up to," Stefan told Roxie.

Roxie gasped. "You didn't try and stop her, did you? What she's doing is very important!"

"I didn't try to stop her," Stefan said, shaking his head. "She told me what she was doing and I said my piece about it, but I'm still letting her do as she sees fit. And I'm gonna go stay in a hotel until she finishes."

"Why not stay with Dad?" Roxie asked. "He has room and I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Stefan shook his head. "I don't know if that's a good idea. What Anna is doing borders on illegal and if your father finds out, I think it would put an end to this little operation of yours. Remember, your father isn't as easy-going about your aunt's activities as I am."

"Oh, right," Roxie said. "Well, I'm gonna go. Thanks for being so cool about this thing that Aunt Anna and I are doing."

Stefan nodded. "You're welcome," he said.

* * *

"So this is what the town is like?" Damon asked as Lucy parked her car in a parking garage and the pair of them began walking around the streets lined with shops. "I like it. It's nice."

"Of course it's nice," Lucy said. "It's late summer, so it's still warm. But it's less pleasant in the winter, you know. So cold and icy." She shivered. "I don't like it at all. Sam and I are summer babies. Our birthday is right near yours as a matter of fact."

"Can I ask why I haven't seen much of him since I showed up?" Damon asked. "It's like he took one look at me and ran away. Have I done something to offend him?"

"Oh, it's not your fault," Lucy said. "But seeing as how you're his father and I'm his half-sister, seeing you and I together in a romantic way has always been difficult for him. Especially when he found out that I was spending time in your bed. That probably scarred the poor guy for life."

Damon's eyes widened. "What? You mean, he came upon us when you and I were-?"

"We weren't actually _doing _anything at the time, but we weren't dressed and Sam was able to put two and two together. Things have been strained between the two of you ever since, although lately things have improved," Lucy assured him. "It's just something he'll have to deal with because I'm not giving you up!"

Damon grinned. "Well, that's very reassuring. Thank you." He hugged her to him. They made visits to a few stores to get Lucy some paints, pencils and canvas, then some toothpaste and laundry detergent, and a bunch of modern clothes for Damon, and as they were coming out of a bakery with a dozen cookies, a man ran past them, snatching Lucy's purse from her arm.

"Hey!" Lucy called, handing Damon the cookies and starting you run after the thief. "You come back here with my purse, you-you-" She couldn't think of an epithet strong enough to describe her attacker. It should have been easy for her to catch him, but as she didn't want Damon to know at this point that she was a vampire, she obviously couldn't go around demonstrating her power, no matter how dire the circumstances were.

Fortunately for her, that didn't seem to be a problem for Damon. "Come here, Lucy!" He said. "Grab your bags and your box and come here."

"Where?" Lucy asked as he grabbed her arm and pulled her along. She noticed a lone horse standing on the side of the street. Indications on the horse showed that it belonged to a policeman who was a member of a mounted unit. "If you're talking about that horse there, we can't just take it! It belongs to the police!"

"That doesn't matter now!" Damon said, picking her up bags, box and all and placing her on the gray horse's saddle. "We need to get your purse back from that thief and this is the best way to do it. We'll bring the horse back, I promise. Now there's no time to waste!" Damon jumped onto the horse and ordered it forward at a furious pace. In no time at all, they caught up with the purse snatcher. "There you are, you scoundrel!" Damon exclaimed. "Unhand my lady's things right now or I will take them from your cold, dead fingers."

"Are you crazy?" The thief asked.

"Drop her things and you will not have to find out," Damon said. "Do you understand me?"

But the man didn't put the purse down, so Damon took the whip in hand and brought it right down on the mugger, who fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Damon got off the horse and walked over to look down at the man, turning him over. "The purse, please," he said. "I would prefer that you hand it over willingly, but if you don't, I promise I will beat you soundly until you do."

"Damon, that's not necessary!" Lucy said. "I think he's freaked out enough that you can just take my purse from him. Do that and let's go."

He looked at Lucy. "All right," he said. "Although I would prefer to give this man everything he has coming to him without hesitation, if you would like to leave, that's what we'll do."

"Thank you," Lucy said. "That _is_ what I would like."

Damon gave the mugger a disgusted look, snatched the purse away, and got on the horse. As he and Lucy rode away, leaving the mugger on street, Lucy put her chin on Damon's shoulder. "That was some speech you made to the mugger," she said. "You sounded like Robin Hood or something."

"Did I?" Damon asked, his face lighting up. "Because that was who I meant to sound like. I wanted to sound like a hero."

"Well, you didn't just _sound_ like a hero," Lucy told him. "You really _were_ one. Thanks for working so hard to get my purse back."

"It's no trouble at all," Damon said. "Do you still have everything?"

"Yes," Lucy nodded. "I'm certain I do. I think he was too busy running away and wetting himself to take anything."

"Do you have all the things you need, or are we going to need to go to another store?" Damon asked. "Because if not, I suggest we go home and you lie down for awhile. When a lady witnesses something as frightening as a mugging, the best way to recover from it is rest, staying inside, that sort of thing."

"That may be what works for women in your time, but I'm fine, I swear," Lucy said. "I'm not scarred or frightened or anything."

"I still would feel more comfortable if you rested," Damon told her.

"How about I read in my room for a bit?" Lucy said. They got the horse back to its original location, finding themselves face to face with an angry police officer. "How could you steal my horse?" He demanded of them. He was eating a sandwich and bits of spit and chewed up foold flew out of his mouth as he spoke. "You can't just take any animal you see out for a joyride! He's supposed to be a police animal!"

"And yet, he was standing in the street doing nothing when we borrowed him," Damon said. "I promise you he was used for the appropriate purpose and we had every intention of returning him when we took him."

"You see, Officer," Lucy said, her eyes on the policeman's, "my purse was stolen by a mugger and there were no fine lawmen such as yourself to track him down, so when we saw your horse, we did what we had to do. We had no other choice. Do you understand?"

Suddenly, the officer blinked and his stern expression lightened. "Well, I suppose if he was really fighting crime and you had every intention of returning him, I can excuse you. You two have a good day now."

"Thank you officer," Lucy said with a grin. "You have a good day now."

"Well, that was strange," Damon said as they walked away. "Don't you think it's strange how quickly his attitude changed?"

"No," Lucy said. "I'm just glad he finally saw reason. That's all I'm gonna say."

They arrived home and Lucy decided that she would take a nap after all. Damon followed her to their room, tucked her in, kissed her goodnight, and turned off the light. He changed clothes and sat in the living room for awhile, staring out the window, but he felt himself getting restless. He wrote Lucy a note for when she woke up, telling her that he was going out for awhile and slipped it under her door. He then left the house and walked around aimlessly, not paying much attention to any particular thing or person around him until he heard someone call his name.

"Damon!" The familiar voice brought him to a standstill. He blinked several times as he saw Stefan approach him. "Brother?" He asked, feeling shocked. "Is that you?"

"Well, of course!" Stefan said. "Who else would it be?"

"How are you here?" Damon asked him after they embraced. "Did you fall through time as well?"

"Fall through time?" Stefan gave Damon a strange look and then burst out laughing. "Are you joking? You must be joking. Having a drink too many always _did_ bring out the worst in your sense of humor."

"I haven't been drinking!" Damon said. "I really _did_ come here from home after falling through a portal of time! And you? How did you get here?"

"The same way you did in actuality," Stefan said. "I'm a vampire, and so are you. We've been the same age we were when Father killed us in 1864 for siding with the vampires. Selina's one too. We-" He paused as he saw all the color drain from Damon's face. He saw his brother collapse and grabbed him quickly to hold him up.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked. "Damon, what's wrong? You can tell me."

"I'm not a vampire, Stefan," Damon said. "I swear to you."

"Wait a minute," Stefan said, grabbing Damon's hand. "You're not wearing a ring and the sun is out! You should be burned to a crisp right now, but you're not! When did you come from? What year? 1864?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "!863. June."

"Ah," Stefan nodded. "That explains it. Everything makes sense, then."

"What were you saying about us and Selina being vampires?" Damon asked.

"Nothing," Stefan said quickly, looking Damon straight in the eye. "I never said anything about us and Selina being vampires. I asked if you wanted to come with me to get a drink."

"Oh, all right," Damon said. "That sounds wonderful. Lead the way, brother."

* * *

In mid-October, Roxie finally got a call from Anna. "Are you done?" Roxie asked. "Is that Tyler guy alive yet?"

"Yes!" Anna said. "It took awhile, but I did it! I gave him Nik's address and he told me he had every intention of stopping by to see Caroline. You wouldn't mind dropping hints to her about his coming, would you? We wouldn't want her dropping dead at the sight of him. That would defeat the purpose of this whole thing."

"All right," Roxie said. "I'll go and let her know."

"Good news!" Roxie said when Caroline opened the door. "You know your former husband Tyler? The one you miss so much?"

"Yeah," Caroline nodded. "What about him?"

"Well, didn't you say you wished you could see him again?" Roxie asked. "And didn't I tell you that I could make that happen?"

Caroline frowned at her, but let her in. "That was months ago and I haven't seen anything or anyone. I think you're a terrible liar."

"Well he _was_ dead, Caroline," Roxie said, sitting on a chair and filing her nails. "And bringing people back from the dead takes a lot of work."

"What?" Caroline asked, bursting into nervous giggles. "What are you talking about, bringing Tyler back from the dead? It can't be done!"

"Why not?" Roxie asked. "_You_ were brought back from the dead."

"Well, that's different," Caroline snapped. "_I_ am a vampire. Tyler was not. He was a werewolf and werewolves don't just come back from the dead! You are just so full of shit that I don't even believe it!" Just as she began to angrily stomp off, the doorbell rang.

"I wonder who that is," Roxie said with a grin. "Caroline, why don't you answer it?"

Caroline was reluctant. Finally, the gentle knocking turned into loud, insistent pounding. "Caroline! " A gruff male voice called. "Are you in there? Let me in!"

Caroline froze, her eyes widening. "I know that voice! But it can't be Tyler! It just _can't_ be!"

"Well, why don't you let the poor guy in already?" Roxie asked. "He's been standing out there long enough!"

Caroline took one more short, hesitant pause and then strode toward the door with determination in every step. She closed her eyes, yanked the door open, and then opened them again. "Oh, my god," she said. "Tyler, is that you?"

A young man with dark hair and dark eyes stepped inside and embraced Caroline. "Yeah, Care. It's me." He kissed her deeply and then when the kiss was broken and they pulled apart, Caroline looked at Roxie, stupefied. "How did you-?"

Roxie grinned. "Don't ask questions. Just enjoy."

* * *

Selina checked her watch and went to put on a sweater. It was almost time to meet Elijah at the restaurant for her birthday lunch. He would have taken her himself, but he said he had a surprise for her and would meet her at the restaurant and that was that.

She put the kids in the car, dropped them off with her mother and Mikael and then began the drive to the restaurant. The car was a dream, a fast car. She decided that since it was her birthday, just this once, she'd throw caution to the wind and see just how fast the car could go. She looked out both windows, took a deep breath, and put her foot down on the gas. The speed was _wonderful_. Sadly, her euphoria didn't last long though. Out of nowhere, a cop car appeared, sirens blaring, and began pursuing her.

"Oh, fuck!" She muttered under her breath and did the best she could to try and get away. But the cop car kept pursuing her and finally, she realized that all she could do was stop and face the music. She didn't really feel up to compelling him. Maybe if she flashed him, he'd let her go on her way without punishment. If it was a female cop, she was screwed. The officer approached the car and she let down the window, but before he could open his mouth, she began talking in a rush. "I'm sorry, officer! This is a new car, and it goes fast. It's my birthday and I was just trying to have a little fun. I didn't hurt anyone. Please don't take me to jail!"

The officer leaned forward. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he said. "But we can't allow behavior like that, even if it _is_ your birthday. Step out of the car, please."

"Well okay," Selina told him. "But in regards to the jail thing, I have a counter offer that just might make things all better." She let him tug her out of the car and then she lifted up her shirt.

"Well," he said, his eyes as obscured by his hat as they had been when he picked her up. "I have to say they're…nice. Very nice." He reached out to stroke them.

"Thank you," she said. "They're so big because I just had a baby and I'm breastfeeding." At that, the officer removed his cap and backed her up against the cop car, grinning.

"Elijah!" Selina said in shock.

"Turn around," he said, his expression serious. "If you drive as wantonly as you do, who knows what other bad stuff you have up your sleeve? I'm gonna have to frisk you." Selina turned around and he slowly moved his hands over her body, squeezing her breasts, rubbing her, and running his hands over her bottom.

"All right," he said, letting her go and giving her a spank. "Get in the car."

"Why should I?" Selina asked with a grin. "You're just a big bully, aren't you?" Elijah grabbed a pair of handcuffs off his belt, pushed her into the car where she landed on her back with a bounce and then cuffed her to the door. "I can't abide by people who resist arrest," he said.

"Will I have to be punished?" Selina asked innocently.

Elijah grinned. "Oh, yes," he said. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to use the little-known but very effective kissing torture," he said. "Every kiss will drive you more and more insane until you beg me to let you go!" He then began kissing her all over and pretty soon, they were furiously kissing each other, the heat they generated making the car warm enough for nakedness to be a necessity. As Selina came and let out a terrific shriek, she heard banging coming from somewhere in the car. "What's that?" She asked, sitting up. The mood was temporarily broken and Elijah looked ruffled. "Nothing," he said. "Just lunch."

"Why would lunch be making that much noise?" Selina asked. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Elijah said, twisting a strand of her hair around his finger. "Just the policeman I stole the car from. I thought it would be more fun than a stuffy restaurant."

"Oh, how unique!" Selina said. "You know, I find this recent bloodthirstiness of yours to be very intriguing. You never did like taking from people before, but over the last months, you've become a pro."

"And do you have a problem with that?" Elijah asked her.

"No!" Selina exclaimed. "Are you kidding? I have _dreamed_ about you being this liberal! If there's anyone who will _not_ judge you for feeding from people, it's me."

"So are you hungry then?" He asked her."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Sure. Just let me get what clothes on I can and then-"

"You can stay here and dress," Elijah said. "I'll go and get lunch." He pulled on his shirt and then exited the car, opening the trunk where the whimpering police officer was stuffed. he was a slim man in his late forties, graying and clad only in his boxers. He was so frightened, he couldn't speak, he just babbled. Elijah shoved him onto Selina's lap and she grinned at him. "Do I get the first taste?"

"Yes," Elijah grinned. "But not yet." He took out a small wax birthday candle, stuck it in the man's eye, and lit it. As liquid gushed forth, Elijah lit the candle and grinned at Selina. "Make a wish," he said.

Selina grinned, shut her eyes tight and then blew out the candle. "I won't tell you what I wished for, but I have no doubt I'll get what I want tonight." As she sank her fangs into the man's neck and sucked greedily, Elijah stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Happy birthday, darling," he said.


	33. Love is a Game

The door opened and Lucy turned around as Damon and Stefan walked in the house. "Hello, boys," she said. "Did you have a good time doing whatever it was that you were doing?"

Damon nodded. "Of course. Why wouldn't I have a good time with my brother?" he asked and clapped Stefan jovially on the back. "I believe I may need to go wash and change my clothes, though. We worked up quite a sweat. A good warm up for tonight, I suppose." He gave Lucy a wink and strode off, leaving her and Stefan alone.

"Sorry about that," Lucy told Stefan apologetically. "I know you're one of the ones who finds having to listen to things about my relationship with your brother awkward."

"'Awkward' is putting it mildly," Stefan told her. "I thought we'd reached the height of strange when you were a baby and got changed into an adult for the first time. I remember how Damon looked at you even then and it was not normal."

"Well, I didn't exactly look like a baby, did I?" Lucy asked. "Not that that would have excused anything he might have done, of course, but..." she trailed off, cleared her throat and changed the subject. "Has he been asking a lot of questions about, you know, this time?"

"No," Stefan shook his head. "All he would talk about was you, pretty much. Until I told him to stop talking and focus on the sports."

"I'm sorry," Lucy said. But she was grinning anyway.

"Can I ask what happened to Damon the vampire?" Stefan asked. "I know you were upset about what he told you, but that's no reason to do whatever you did."

"I didn't harm your brother in any way," Lucy replied. "I just asked Lenora to send him back to when human you would have lived so that human Damon could stay here. It's helping me work through the news about Damon very effectively."

"How is ignoring what Damon told you and pretending that it didn't happen by sleeping with a man who is my brother but isn't helping you get through what he told you?" Stefan asked. "Lucy, I'm going to have to ask you to bring him back."

"No," Lucy said immediately. "Sorry, Stefan, I won't. Not now, anyway. I will when I'm ready, but not now."

"But how can you not?" Stefan asked, feeling outraged. "Lucy, no matter what he might have done, you can't play with his life this way! I know that what he did to Caroline was wrong and I don't excuse it, but that doesn't mean you can send him who knows where just because you're upset!"

"Well, what did you expect me to do?" Lucy asked. "How can you expect me to look your brother in the eye after what he did?"

"It was so long ago," Stefan told her. "And it didn't happen to you." He came to sit next to her and put a hesitant arm around her shoulder. "Do you realize all you are to my brother? You are the _one_ person in his whole life who's always seen good in him. Everyone else in his life, including me had reason to hate him because he's done so many bad things, but to you, he was just a good guy that raised you and bought you ice cream and everything else he did. That meant a lot to him. That's why he didn't want to tell you about what happened between him and Caroline because he knew that would make you just as critical of him as everyone else."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Well, he hurt someone who is very important to me!" she said. "Did he just expect me to ignore that because he bought me a few ice cream cones when I was a kid?"

"Oh, you know there's more to the two of you than that," Stefan said. "What's the reason why this thing with Caroline is hitting you so hard? It has to be more than just that it happened to her. You're too sensible to let your emotions take over you just because Damon did something bad to someone else."

"Well," Lucy said after a moment. "Well, I just-I don't know. That's the reason. I'm upset that he would do something to Caroline. That's all. Nothing else. And I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone!" And with that, she dropped his arm from her shoulder and strode off to her room, leaving Stefan alone.

"What's the matter?" Damon asked as Lucy strode past the bathroom where he stood just inside the door wrapped in a towel over his shoulders and a towel around his waist. "Lucy, what's wrong?"

But Lucy ignored him and ran into her bedroom, slamming the door hard behind her. Damon stood outside the door, but didn't go in. Instead, he stood with his ear against the door as Lucy burst into tears. He listened to this for awhile and then knocked softly. "Lucy?" He asked calmly. "May I come in?"

"No!" Lucy called. "Don't! I don't want you to see me like this!"

Damon put his hand on the doorknob. "If you mean you don't want me to see you cry, I already have, so why is it a problem now?"

"It was a mistake to let you see!" Lucy called back, her voice sounding as if she were now trying to hold back tears. "I shouldn't have let you in before!"

Damon opened the door anyway and went inside. "Well, I'm sorry," he said. "But I can't just let you sit in here and cry by yourself. I wouldn't feel right. Why are you crying?"

"The same reason as last time," Lucy said. "Well, sort of. It's a little different now. Stefan seems to think that I was wrong to send other you away while I worked out my feelings about the troubling stuff you told me. He told me that I should have just kept other you here and talked to him because my rejection of you hurt you more than I know. But I know I did the right thing for me, and shouldn't that be all that matters? It wasn't like I killed you or anything. I just got you out of the way until such time as I could deal with being in the same space as you. Is that so wrong?"

"You obviously didn't kill me, so I wouldn't think so," Damon replied. "There is nothing wrong with doing what's right for you, no matter what anyone says. That's why I refused to fight in the war and made no apologies for it."

"Oh," Lucy nodded. "Okay. I understand now."

Damon looked at Lucy, then put a hand under her chin, bringing her eyes up to his. "Let me dress and I'll talk to my brother," he said. "Should I tell him he needs to apologize to you too?"

"No," Lucy shook her head. "You don't need to go that far. Just make him understand so that he doesn't keep shaming me about this."

Damon nodded and put his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "It will be all right," he said for the second time. "I'll take care of this, don't you worry."

Lucy finally stopped crying and wiped her nose with her hand. "Sorry," she said. "I'm not usually this emotional. You probably think I'm a complete idiot. I'll control myself more in the future, I promise."

Damon shook his head. "Please don't," he said as he went and dressed. "You shouldn't hold yourself back for me. In fact, it would please me if I was the person you would open up to. You can be as self-contained as you like with other people, but I don't see how this can be a relationship we have if you don't feel you can show emotion around me."

"Oh, I don't know," Lucy said. "You know, I've never really been comfortable letting people see me cry."

"I've seen you cry twice," Damon pointed out. "And I've been all right with it. I mean, I won't demand that you cry around me because that's strange, but don't just feel like you have to bury every emotion. I really don't think that helps. I think it just makes you feel worse. But what do I know, really?" He stepped into his pants, buttoned them and zipped them up. Then he grabbed a while button-down shirt with thin blue strips, put it on, and went up to Lucy. "Would you button me up?" He asked her.

Lucy opened her mouth to ask why he couldn't do it himself, but then shut it, reached out and slowly buttoned his buttons for him. "There," she said when she'd done the last one. "It's done."

Damon nodded. "Thank you," he said. "I'll go see to Stefan now. You stay here."

"Be gentle with him!" Lucy called. "Don't hurt him or anything! Do you promise?"

Damon paused just outside the door. His back was to her, but he turned. "If that's what you want, then I promise," he said.

Lucy nodded. "I do," she said. "Thank you, Damon."

Damon left her and walked down the hallway and back to the living room where Stefan was. "Lucy's very upset," he said to his brother, feeling like he wanted to rip off Stefan's head. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Stefan shrugged. "I don't know. What am I _supposed _to say?"

Damon narrowed his eyes. "Brother, you made her cry! Just what did you say to her? And if you don't give me a good answer, I'll make sure that you never go near her again."

"I was only defending _you_!" Stefan exclaimed. "You _do _know that the only reason why you're here and the you that's supposed to be here is somewhere else is because Lucy is really judgmental, don't you? She had this perfect image of you in her head and the second that got destroyed by reality, she started judging you! And for something that was not even done to her!"

"But it _could_ be!" Lucy burst out, appearing quite suddenly. She must've come out of her room and been listening. "If he did it to Caroline without a thought, who's to say he won't do the same sort of thing to me if things ever go wrong with us, huh?"

"It wouldn't," Stefan said immediately. "He wouldn't."

"Wouldn't do what?" Damon asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing you need to hear just now," Stefan said. "Why don't you find something to do with yourself and let me talk to Lucy alone?"

"I don't know," Damon told him. "I saw what happened to her the last time the two of you were left alone." He looked at Lucy. "Do you want me to leave you alone with my brother?" He asked. "Or do you want me to stay?"

Lucy looked back and forth between Damon and Stefan. She didn't say a word to either. Then, she finally sighed. "You can go, Damon. I'll talk with your brother."

Damon nodded. "All right. But if he does anything to upset you again, don't hesitate to come get me."

Lucy nodded and Damon left her and Stefan alone reluctantly. When he was gone, Lucy said, "all right, Stefan. What makes you so sure Damon wouldn't do to me what he did to Caroline?"

"Because," Stefan said. "He _loves _you, all right? He will do any_thing_ to any_one_, but if you get on the list of people that he actually gives a damn about, he'll protect you to the end. Caroline was not one of those people. She was just a means to an end, a way to get Katherine. But you...he_ loves _you, and he would never, _ever_ hurt you, and he'd kill anyone who ever tried. I know that for sure. In fact, I thought he was gonna rip _my_ head off for making you cry."

"Really?" Lucy asked, feeling lightheaded. "But, you're his _brother_! How is it possible that I'm more important to him than you are?"

Stefan shrugged. "I don't know how to answer you. But don't you think that means Damon deserves another chance?" He asked. "Please, just bring him back from wherever you sent him, then the two of you can talk. Unless, of course, you don't love him as much as he loves you."

That caused Lucy to lapse into silence. "That's what I'm trying to figure out, Stefan," she said at last. "I'm trying to figure out if I can still love your brother knowing what he did to Caroline. If I decide I can't, I'll do the honorable thing and let him go. But until I decide, please stop judging me, all right? I'm going to do what's right by your brother no matter what I decide because he _has_ been good to me, and he deserves to be with someone who loves him, whether it's me or somebody else."

Stefan nodded. "All right," he said. "I guess I can accept that. I guess I have to." He paused. "What do you think my brother is up to now?" He asked.

"You mean in the past?" Lucy clarified.

Stefan nodded.

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm sure he's all right. Lenora offered to go and watch him for me."

* * *

"Damon," Lenora said as she walked into the room of the small inn where she and he had taken up residence. "I'm _hungry_. You have to come with me." She grabbed his hand and began pulling at him.

"Why can't you go alone this time?" Damon asked. "You've done it enough, right? You know the rules. You know what you have to do to be safe. What do you need me for? Besides, my father has noticed that me and Louisa have taken a 'liking' to each other and has insisted we go out. I don't have much time to get ready."

Lenora let him go and thought a moment. Then, she nodded. "All right. I'll go by myself," she said. "And I promise I'll stay in the woods and only eat animals even though they're yucky."

Damon nodded. "That's right," he said. "This is a risky town to be in if you're a vampire."

"It is?" Lenora asked. "Why?"

"Because," Damon replied, "We killed a whole lot of them around the time your grandma Selina and I turned. That doesn't happen for another year or so, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Damon!" Louisa's loud, brash voice called. "Are you in there?"

"Yes!" Damon called back. "Just a minute, Louisa. I'm coming!"

"Are you dressed?" Louisa yelled.

"Yes," Damon replied. "I'm just having some trouble with my tie!"

At that, the door burst open and Louisa strode in. "Well, why didn't you say so?" She asked. She grabbed him by the lapels so he was standing up straight and then began tying his tie. "You know," she said. "It's sad that your father made you leave his house, but so sweet that you care more about your daughter than that. I'll still marry you in spite of her."

"Wait a minute!" Lenora said. "I'm not his-"

Damon gave her a look.

She cleared her throat. "I mean, thank you. You're a nice lady. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go." She gave a small curtsey then escaped out the door of the room and ran from the inn and into the woods. It took her awhile, but eventually, she managed to take down a deer and was feeding from it when all of a sudden, she heard a voice.

"Oh, my god," it said quietly.

She turned and saw a man in a dirty shirt and torn pants staring at her with wide eyes. And why not? Her mouth was covered with blood. The man stared a little while longer, then began running away, toward where people were. Lenora let the deer go and sped after him, pinning him to the forest floor and sucking down greedily. When she let him go, he wasn't anywhere near death, but he wasn't in good shape, either Lenora looked down at him, blinked, gasped, and then burst into tears. She washed her face off with water from a stream and tried her best to walk calmly back to the inn. When she got back to the room, she said, "Damon, we have to talk real fast. I had an accident."

Damon gave her a confused look. "Aren't you a little old for that?"

Lenora glared at him. "Not _that_ kind of accident! An accident while I was eating!"

Damon's eyes widened as he suddenly understood. He batted Louisa's hand away and took Lenora into the bathroom. "What happened?" He asked her. "Tell me everything."

"I was eating a deer," Lenora said. "Then this man saw me and he started to run away, so I stopped him and ate from him and now he's in the woods."

"Is he dead?" Damon asked.

"No," Lenora shook her head. "Just hurt. I didn't mean to eat from him, though. It was an accident! I thought he was gonna tattle on me!"

"Oh, it's all right, Lenora," Damon said. "No one's gonna hurt you, I promise."

"Do we have to go home now?" Lenora asked. "Are people gonna hurt us?"

"Well how much did you hurt the man when you bit him?" Damon asked. "Did you just take a little, or did you take a lot?"

"I didn't take a little," Lenora said. "Like I told you, I was _hungry_!"

"Well, all right then," Damon nodded. "That could be good. He could still be lying on the ground. If that's the case, we'll just heal him up and make him forget he was bitten. All right?"

Lenora nodded. "Okay. But you can't tell my mommy about this. I'll get in trouble for sure if she finds out."

"About what?" Damon asked. "The going back in time or the drinking so much from a guy that he almost died?"

"Either one," Lenora replied. "Neither would sit well with Mommy."

They asked Louisa to wait for them and then headed out to the woods. The entire time, Lenora was muttering "Please don't be dead, guy. Please don't be dead," under her breath.

"Do you remember where you left him?" Damon asked her as they passed tree after tree.

"There!" Lenora pointed at the dirty, prone lump on the ground. "There he is, I think!" They walked up to the prone figure who was face down in the dirt and turned him over. "Yep!" Lenora confirmed. "That's him!"

The man was moaning and his eyes were half-closed, but when he saw Lenora, they widened and he let out a yell. Almost immediately, Lenora put a hand over his mouth. "Be quiet please!" She said, looking him in the eye. The man lapsed into silence and lay back down on the ground, staring up at the sky through the trees.

"Now what do we do?" Lenora asked Damon. "Do we kill him?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "I don't think there's a need to go that far. Do you remember that thing you did to make him be quiet?"

"Yeah," Lenora nodded. "I looked him in the eyes and I said it."

"Exactly," Damon nodded. "Get him to sit up again and tell him that he doesn't remember your face or my face or anything about being bitten. Tell him he was walking around in the woods and fell and hit his head or something, all right? That will be enough to keep us out of danger for at least another year."

"Well, good," Lenora said. "I wouldn't want to get anyone in trouble." The two of them then worked to get the man sitting up again. Lenora looked at him, and then opened her mouth, but no words came out. She looked at Damon. "I don't know if I can say it," she said. "You do it." She pushed the man in his direction, but Damon shook his head. "You're a big girl now," he said. "And doing this is just part of being a vampire, okay? Hasn't your daddy taught you this?"

"Kind of," Lenora replied. "But Mommy only lets Daddy take me out _sometimes_. Not a lot."

"Oh," Damon nodded. "All right. Start by getting hold of him again so that he's looking at you." They got the man up so that he was looking at Lenora.

"Do you remember all the stuff I told you to say?" Damon asked, placing a supporting hand on Lenora's back.

She swallowed and nodded, locking eyes with the man. "You don't remember my face or his face or that I bit you. You were walking around in the woods and fell and hit your head. And you got bit by an animal. That's why you're bleeding. All right?"

The man nodded and Lenora looked at Damon. "Do I hafta say anything else?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "You did well. Good girl."

"Do we just leave him here?" Lenora asked, standing up and looking down at the man pitifully.

"No," Damon shook his head. Since he's not dead, I'll take him back to town." He picked the man up again and supported him on one side while Lenora grabbed his other hand in a firm grip. They managed to make their way back to town although it took them awhile. They took him into see Dr. Stensrund, who looked at the man with amazement. "What's happened here?" He asked.

"He fell in the woods," Lenora said promptly. "Then he got bit by an animal. Can you make him better?"

"We'll see what we can do, dear," the doctor said, patting her on the head. Then he looked at Damon. "Where did you find him?"

"Just lying in the woods, Doctor Stensrund," Damon said. "He wasn't moving at all."

"Oh, dear," the doctor said. "I'll go ask Lucy to help me make him comfortable. I'm not sure he'll live much longer from the looks of him." He strode off and Lenora looked at Damon. "Is Aunt Lucy here? Who is he talking about?"

"Not your aunt," Damon shook his head. "The Lucy _he's_ talking about is his daughter. The two of them are vampires but nobody's supposed to know about that. He's the one that turned your grandma Selina."

"He _is?_" Lenora asked. "_Wow_!"

"But remember, no one is supposed to know what he is, so don't ask him about it, no matter how much you want to, okay?" Damon reminded her.

"Okay," Lenora nodded. "By the way, does your aunt know you're here?" Damon asked. "She's supposed to be watching you, isn't she?"

"Yes," Lenora nodded. "But she asked me to come check on you and make sure you were okay, so I'm here."

"She did?" Damon asked, feeling warm inside, the sting of Lucy's rejection starting to lessen.

"Yeah!" Lucy nodded. "She _did._"

"That means she still cares about me," Damon's voice was excited. "That's a good sign, right?"

"Sure," Lenora said. "I guess."

Just then, Doctor Stensrund appeared again. "There's no need for either of you now," he said. "It would be best if you went home."

Damon nodded. "That might be best. I don't want to keep Louisa waiting any longer than I have." He and Lenora left the injured man in Doctor Stensrund's care and then went back to the inn so that Damon could go out with Louisa.

* * *

"What is going on?" Astrid asked, striding up to Esmeralda. "It's been weeks, _months_ even since I've seen my daughter and my son-in-law. What have you done with them?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Esmeralda said simply. "We just wanted to make sure that Helene was able to reach her potential as a witch. We put her and Owen together awhile ago and they've refused to leave the cell where we put them ever since."

"You put them in _jail_?" Astrid's eyes widened. "Esmeralda, I know you have wanted Helene and your son together for the longest time, but locking them both in jail to force a commitment is not the way to go about it, especially since my daughter is already married to a man she loves very much!"

"He's not a man," Esmeralda corrected. "He is an 'it'. Don't you think your daughter deserves more than an 'it' for a husband?"

"I think Helene deserves to be with the man she loves," Astrid said immediately. "Even if he's not a warlock."

Just then, Owen appeared right next to Esmeralda. "Hello, Mom," he said. "What are we talking about?"

Esmerelda's eyes widened. "Owen, what are you _doing_ here? You're supposed to be down in the dungeons with Helene!"

"No," Owen said. "She's down there with someone else. Her husband. When I saw they were together, I couldn't go through with the plan."

"You mean you let me down?" Esmeralda asked, beginning to look angry. She advanced on her son and thunder and lightning crashed outside. "I asked you to do one simple thing, Owen. How could you fail me? Don't you realize how important this is to me?"

"He's a smart young man," a voice said. Hearing the voice, Esmeralda froze, looking at Astrid. "Did you say something?"

"No," Astrid said with a grin. "I didn't, but I bet you wish I did." Just then, an angelic looking blonde with blue eyes who wore a white dress appeared and approached Esmeralda. "Why?" She asked her.

"Why what?" Esmeralda asked, trying to look innocent.

"Why did you try and administer a love potion to your son and Helene Fale?" The woman asked. "What were you hoping would happen?"

"The same thing anyone hopes will happen when they administer a love potion, Hazel!" Esmeralda said, her voice cracking. "I just wanted to create love between my son and Helene. Is that so wrong?"

"Well, when you consider that one of the cardinal rules of magic is not to tamper with love, I would say it _is _wrong!" Hazel said. "And you know what happens to people who mess with love. You know about Mr. Black."

"Wait a minute!" Esmeralda said. "I know that what I did was wrong, but I failed! My son was not the man who took the potion! It was Helene's husband!"

Hazel turned to Astrid. "Is this true, or is she lying to get herself out of trouble?"

"Well, I don't know," Astrid said. "But I'll go and see."

Hazel nodded and Astrid ran down to the dungeons where the noises were still loudly emitting from the cell where Helene was being kept, along with the sound of running water. Astrid reached the cell and saw that Adrian and Helene were naked and embracing under a rush of water from the shower in the cell.

"Excuse me!" Astrid called over the sound of the water. "Helene, dear? Adrian? Excuse me!"

Helene finally caught her mother's eye and the shower automatically went off. Astrid averted her eyes as Helene detached herself from Adrian and the two of them covered themselves up with towels. "What is it, Mom?" Helene asked. "And make it fast, would you?"

"I just came down to make sure that it was you and Adrian who accidentally ingested the love potion, rather than you and Owen. Apparently, Esmeralda wasn't lying about that."

"Love potion?" Helene asked. "We never took any love potion! I don't know what she's saying!"

"You took a love potion," Astrid said to her. "That's the only way to explain why the two of you haven't left the cell for two months and the jailer keeps talking about conjugal visits."

"But I thought that taking love potions was a _bad _thing!" Helene said. "I don't feel bad at all, Mother. In fact, I feel better than I have in a long time. More in love with Adrian than ever!"

Just then, Hazel appeared. "Well, good," she said, looking at Adrian and Helene. "It seems like one problem has been averted. Esmeralda will still be punished of course, but not as severely as she would have if it had been someone other than Adrian who took the potion along with Helene." She then disappeared.

Adrian and Helene began kissing again. Astrid put up a hand. "Just a minute now. "There's something you have to understand. I know that the effects of a love potion are wonderful if you're actually _in_ love, but you have to stop ingesting potion right this minute!"

"Why?" Helene asked as Adrian kissed down her neck.

"Because!" Astrid said sharply, hitting Adrian with a newspaper she'd found and rolled up. "The longer you depend on love potions to help with your romance, the less likely you'll be able to function as a couple without them. You don't want to end up in a loveless marriage because some silly potion makes you feel more for each other than you have before, do you?"

Adrian let Helene go reluctantly. "No," he grumbled.

"Well, all right," Astrid nodded. "Now get some clothes on and come back to your rooms with me. We need to get you out of here _now_."

* * *

Selina got home from the bakery, hung up her coat by the door, and put Colin in his playpen, giving him a ball to squeeze. "I'm home!" She called. "Everything okay here?" Just then, there was the sound of rushing air as Elijah appeared in front of her. "Here you are!" he said. "I've been waiting for you all _day_! Why did it take you so long to come back?"

"Because I had to _work_, remember?" Selina reminded him. "I have a business to run. I can't just be here at home having sex with you every minute of the day."

"Why not?" Elijah asked.

"Because I have people who depend on me to run the business and I don't want to let them down. You know that!" Selina said. "Elijah, what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Elijah shook his head and took her into his arms. "I just missed you all day. It's no fun here by myself." He paused. "But now that you _are_ here, we can make up for all the lost time." He picked her up and began carrying her to their room.

"No, wait!" Selina cried. "Elijah Mikaelson, you put me down this minute! I can't just leave Colin alone in his playpen!"

Elijah rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said, putting her down and giving her a spanking. "But hurry up. I've waited long enough today."

"Well, gee," Selina said. "You really know how to charm a girl don't you?" She went over to Colin's playpen and picked him up, cradling him close to her as she carried him back to his room and put him in his crib to sleep. Then, she left his room and found Elijah standing outside in the hall looking impatient. "Are you done?" He asked. "Will you pay attention to _me_ now?"

"Are you gonna give me a choice?" Selina asked him.

"Well of course," Elijah said. "I'm not a monster. But to help you make the _right_ choice..." Selina watched in amazement as Elijah nonchalantly removed his clothes right there in the hallway, standing naked in front of her where either Gregory or Laura could easily walk by and see him.

He mistook her shock for amazement with his physique and grinned. "There you go," he said. "That's the proper spirit. Where should we do it?"

"I, um, I don't know," she finally got out. "You're acting so strange I just don't know what do say."

"Wait," Elijah told her, a grin spreading over his face. "I remember how you've always expressed a desire to be taken in my chair. Let's do that."

"Wait, _what_?!" Selina exclaimed, holding up her hand. "Just a second. You're not seriously suggesting that you and I have sex in your chair, are you?"

"How is that not obvious to you?" Elijah asked impatiently, fidgeting. "I don't know how I could have made that any clearer. Now march. You. Me. Chair. Sex. _Now_."

"Is there gonna be a 'please' at the end of that?" Selina asked as he put a hand in the center of her back and pushed.

"No," Elijah said flatly.

"Can't we talk about this?" Selina said as he backed her up against the chair and sat her down.

"No," Elijah leaned forward, his lips nearly touching hers as he put up the footrest and leaned the headrest back as far as it could go. "No talking. Not anymore."

Selina nodded. "Okay." Then, he eased off her pants and her panties, his hands going gently up her thighs. He got down on his knees in front of the chair and leaned forward, his tongue darting out and slipping in the crevice between the inside of her thigh and her pubic area. It felt tingly and she let out a shriek. The same thing happened when he brought his thumb inside her, swirling around over and over again. Finally, when she was panting like mad, he paused for a few seconds and then climbed on top of her, his mouth covering hers and stifling yet another shriek. He then kissed down her neck and played with her breasts for awhile until she begged him to come inside her.

"I can't handle it anymore," she panted. "Come inside me, please! I feel like I'm gonna just explode!"

He just grinned cheekily at her, his eyebrows raising. "Well, I guess I will since you said the magic word."

"Oh, god!" Selina cried when he pushed into her. "You are bad man! A very, very,_ very _bad man!"

He grinned. "You better believe it!" He said.

Finally, they decided to take a break and Selina sat up as Elijah got off her. "Damn, that was the best sex we ever had." She sighed contentedly. Then, her eyes widened and she hit Elijah hard. "What the hell is_ wrong _with you?" Amazingly enough, the racket hadn't disturbed any of the children.

Elijah grinned. "From the noise you were making, nothing. Obviously."

Selina got up off the chair. "Get up! Get Up!" she ordered. He humored her and moved away from the chair. She ran to the kitchen and came back with some cleaner and a rag, spraying the chair and then wiping it dry. "There. All clean."

Elijah grinned. "What a shame. You'll just have to do that again in another hour or two."

Selina frowned. "I can't believe this! We just befouled your chair and not only are you okay with it, you want us to do it again! I reiterate: What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me," Elijah said, playing with her hair and kissing her earlobe. "We're just having a little fun. You like having fun, don't you?"

"Yeah,_ I _do!" Selina nodded. "But _you _don't! What's happened? Are you sick? Do we need to go see Alistair?" She began putting on her clothes and threw his at him. But he refused to dress in them.

"I'm not sick!" he yelled and threw his clothes back on the ground. "I'm just trying to have a little fun, all right? And I want you to have fun with me, like we did in the cop car on your birthday. I don't care if I don't normally do this. The point is, I do now, so stop worrying or I will make you stop worrying myself!"

"Fine!" Selina said, coming to stand in front of him. "Do that, I dare you. It's literally the only way I will _not_ be freaked out by this change in you. You'd be doing me a favor."

"Fine," Elijah said, looking into her eyes. "You will no longer worry about my change of attitude but act as though that is normal behavior for me. You will also do what I ask when I ask it with no complaints. Am I clear?"

And Selina nodded. "Yes," she said. "You're clear."


	34. Hitting Rock Bottom

The sound of the bedroom door closing woke Klaus again for the third night in a row. "Hi," Caroline said, blushing. "I thought you were asleep. I didn't want to disturb you."

Klaus sat up and nodded. "Well, fine, but since you have, where have you been? Out with Selina's mother again? And if you're gonna lie to me about your whereabouts, at least come up with something believable!"

"Oh," Caroline kept her eyes cast down. "I figured you'd probably see through that, but I hoped you wouldn't." She sighed. "I was out with Tyler again. We were just walking around and talking about old times. It was nice. I like having him back."

"And yet, all this time, you never once wondered where he came from?" Klaus asked. "Aren't you the least bit disturbed that he came back from the dead?"

"Well, I never had to question where he came from, first of all," Caroline said, climbing into the bed. "Roxie found me looking at some of my and Tyler's old pictures and I told her that you and I were kind of in a rut lately, so she said she could do something about it. Next thing you know, Tyler shows up, alive at the front door. As for the whole 'being brought back from the dead' thing, weren't we brought back from the dead too? Us vampires? Tyler's not rotting or asking for my brains or anything, so I'm not worried."

Klaus scoffed. "You might not be, but what about me? What about us? Where does this leave us?"

"You know," Caroline said thoughtfully, "I have to wonder if there ever really _was_ an 'us'. You and Selina were very attached to each other while you were together and you've never really gotten over her, in spite of the divorce, have you? You're still stuck on her. Wouldn't you feel better if you just admitted it?"

"To say I'm still stuck on her is not quite accurate," Klaus told Caroline. "I don't actually love Selina as much as you believe. We have a strong physical attachment thanks to our werewolf genes, but that's all."

"Even so," Caroline told him, "I think I deserve more than a guy who is still very capable of having sex with his ex-wife if the right circumstances come up. If Selina and I were both standing in front of you naked, begging for you to come to bed with us, you'd still pick her, wouldn't you?"

Klaus sighed. "I have to admit you're not entirely wrong about that. Very well. You go on and be with Tyler, but I can't say I'm not gonna miss you."

Caroline nodded. "In a way, I'll miss you too," she said. "I'm sorry this couldn't have worked out." She touched his cheek. "I really am." She sighed. "I'll go sleep on the sofa and tomorrow I'll start packing up my things."

Klaus nodded. "Goodnight, Caroline."

"Good night," Caroline replied when she reached the bedroom door, her hand on the knob. She gave him a long look, opened the door and left, shutting it gently behind her.

* * *

Selina knocked on Laura's bedroom door a few days later and went inside. "Honey?" She said, "I'm gonna go to the grocery store. You wanna come with me? I'll help you dress and everything."

"No need," Elijah said. "You just stay here and rest yourself. You'll need to for later."

"What's going on?" She asked, watching as Elijah pulled a pink dress over Laura's head.

"Toys!" Laura said happily, grinning at her mother.

"Toys?" Selina asked. "What about toys?"

"Niklaus and I decided it would be fun to take Laura to the toy store," Elijah answered. "Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No," Selina shook her head, her lip jutting out a little. "Of course not. The three of you have a good time. I'll just stay here with Colin and Gregory."

"What's the matter?" Elijah asked in a baby voice, coming up to Selina. "What's with the long face? Are you upset because you won't get anything? Don't worry, I'll get you a few really nice presents."

"I don't see what a toy store could do for me," Selina said. "But it's a nice thought. You just worry about having fun with Laura and I'll be okay."

"Well, all right," Elijah nodded. "But let's say that, maybe if I happened to pass by a jewelry store and see something really pretty in the window, you wouldn't hold it against me if I got it for you, would you? No, of course you wouldn't." He leaned down to put on Laura's socks and buckle her shoes and then picked her up. "Do you think Mommy should give Daddy a kiss before we go?" He asked her.

"Yay!" Laura nodded, clapping her hands.

Selina grinned and rolled her eyes as Elijah put Laura down. "All right, you," she said to him. "Come here!"

Elijah grinned and the two of them began kissing enthusiastically, but when his fingers sneaked under the waistline of her jeans, she gave his hand a light slap. "None of that now," she said. "Remember, there's a kid right there!"

"Oh, come on!" Elijah said, keeping a hold on her. "She's two, what does she know?" He began kissing down her neck. Selina resisted a little at first, but then eased into it. "Yes," she nodded. "That feels nice."

Laura watched them for a bit, and then grabbed one of her dolls out of her toy box and hit Elijah on the leg with it. He yelped and let Selina go immediately. "What was that for, young lady?" He asked her. "Why did you hurt me?"

"Toys!" Laura said sternly. "We go!" She grabbed his hand and began pulling him away from Selina and toward the door. "Wait, wait, wait!" Elijah told her. "Don't you want to say goodbye to your mother first?"

Laura gave Selina a long look and then shook her head. "No," she said and resumed trying to pull Elijah toward the door.

"I guess it would be best to just go with her then, wouldn't it?" Elijah asked Selina.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I guess it would be best."

* * *

Selina was sitting on a sofa in the library reading a book when Elijah strode through the library door and snatched the book out of her hands. "Hey!" she protested. When she saw it was him, she grinned. "Hey!" she said again, more warmly this time. "You need a little, you know?" She winked.

"Well, yes," Elijah said grumpily. "Of course I do. But my father has commanded that I come work with him otherwise he's gonna come here and drag me out himself. You miss work for a few days and suddenly it's like you're a criminal."

"I'm sorry," Selina told him, coming to sit on his lap. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to go pick up Laura from Niklaus'. She wanted to stay with him after we got back from the toy store and I said I'd pick her up later, but now I can't. Your presents are there too."

"Sure," Selina nodded. "I'd be happy to go pick up Laura. If you promise to take Gregory with you when you go see your father."

Elijah grinned. "I thought you'd never ask." His phone rang and he answered it with impatience. "All right, Father. I'm coming!" He let Selina up, then he strode angrily out of the room and Selina went to get Colin ready for a trip to Klaus' so they could pick up Laura.

* * *

It took her longer than she anticipated to actually get to the front door of the house. She had to stay in the car several extra minutes to feed Colin and then be extra careful so she wouldn't wake him as she carried up him the steps to Klaus' front door.

"Selina?" Klaus asked in response to her knock. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," she said, "Elijah was busy so he asked me to come and pick up Laura. Can I come in?"

"Oh, of course," Klaus nodded. "Come in, please."

"You know," she said as she followed him inside the house, having a terrific view of the back of him. "You look really good. Have you been working out?"

"Well, yes," Klaus said without turning. "Now that I'm on the market again, I have to keep myself in top shape, don't I?"

"You and Caroline broke up?" Selina asked in surprise. "Why? What happened?"

Now, Klaus turned. "Her ex-husband came back from the dead, of all things. Caroline seemed to think that being with him was preferable to being with me when, as she said, I couldn't focus on her because I was more stuck on you, so we ended things."

"Did she honestly say you were stuck on me?" Selina asked, locking eyes with him. "Well, that's just ridiculous, isn't it?"

"Yes," Klaus replied, his voice breathy as he focused on her lips. "Absolutely bonkers."

Selina put Colin down on the floor next to the sofa. "Well, if there's anything I can do to help..." she licked her lips. "Just let me know, okay?"

Klaus' hands suddenly went around her waist and he pulled her to him. They kissed long and hard, their hands moving up and down each other's bodies.

"Wait!" Selina said. "What about Colin? I can't just leave him down here!"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said impatiently, pausing kissing down her neck. "Take him up to one of the spare bedrooms and then get down here as fast as you can. Remember, I don't like waiting."

Selina nodded and then groaned. "Believe me," she said, pulling him to her to kiss him again. "Neither do I." She then pulled away reluctantly and took Colin upstairs, before coming back down taking the steps two at a time. Her momentum kept going and she ended up in Klaus's arms, knocking him down on the living room floor. As he unbuttoned her blouse, Selina asked Klaus, "Aren't you gonna ask why I'm like this?" She had a twinkle in her eye. "Aren't you curious?"

Klaus shook his head. "No, not really. I never ask questions when it comes to you and opportunities to see that beautiful body of yours. Although, Elijah won't be too happy about this, will he?"

Selina unzipped Klaus' pants. "Does that bother you?" She asked. "It doesn't bother me." She paused, looking down. "You're a big boy, aren't you?" She grinned. "Bigger than Elijah, I think...but don't tell_ him _that. His ego's so fragile."

Klaus grinned and shook his head as his hand went under her jeans. "Don't worry, love," he said. "It will be a secret just between us."

"Get them off!" Selina said insistently, referring to her jeans. "Get 'em off!"

"Okay," Klaus said, flipping over so that she was underneath him. "But it might take a bit. They're tight, aren't they?" He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and then proceeded to peel them off of her and throw them on the sofa. "There," he said with satisfaction as he lightly ran his fingers over her lacy pink panties. "Isn't that better?"

"Or worse," Selina said breathlessly. "Depending on how you look at things. Oh, Nicky, I_ want _you! Take me right this minute!"

He kissed her fingers. "You never have been very patient, have you, darling?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. "Oh, well. I suppose I should end this torture, shouldn't I?" He whipped her panties off and pushed into her and her shriek of pleasure was so loud neither of them heard the front door open. Elijah came in and stood rooted to the spot, his jaw hanging open as he watched them. Finally, he found his voice.

"What the hell is going on here?" He yelled. The sound of his voice stopped Klaus and Selina cold. She looked at Elijah over Klaus' bare shoulder and gave him a wave. "Hi, sweetie! What are you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing here?" Elijah asked, a vein in his forehead beginning to throb. "I came here because I managed to get away from my father and when I got home, you weren't there so I came here to get you and Laura and here I find you and my brother like this! Don't you have _any_ self-control at all?"

"Nicky, get off me," Selina said. She stood up and without bothering to cover herself up, approached her husband. "Darling, if I had any self-control at all, would we have been having as much fun as we have been lately?" She asked. "Besides, it's not like I came _over_ here intending to have sex with your brother. It just happened. He told me how upset he was about his break up with Caroline and I asked if there was anything I could do to help, and then..."

"Oh, yes!" Elijah said angrily. "You're a lot of help. To everyone but me!"

"Hey!" Selina replied. "I offered but you said you had to go work with your father, so this is really your fault, if you think of it. If you'd been around so that we could've been together, then I wouldn't have come over here and done it with your brother. Do you see the logic?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Selina, you look at me. You will return to acting as you usually do in every possible way. You will get dressed and we will take the children and go home. Am I clear?"

All of a sudden, Selina blinked and then plowed her fist into Elijah's face. "Yeah," she said as she dressed. "We're clear. And here's another thing we need to be clear about: I don't appreciate being compelled into being a sex toy for you," she said. "There's no reason for it!" she zipped up her pants and put on her shoes and stared down as Elijah held onto his nose. "I don't want to hear anything else from you now," she said. "I'm going to get the kids and we are going to go home. Then we'll talk more about this, believe you me, you jackass."

As she ran up the stairs to get Laura and Colin, Klaus smirked at his brother. "Bold move compelling her," he said. "You've really got a tough set of balls, don't you?"

"Oh, shut up!" Elijah grumbled as he reached in his pocket for a handkerchief. "I blame you for this as much as I blame her. You should know better than to sleep with my wife!"

"Do we really want to have this argument again, Elijah?" Klaus asked as he dressed. "At various times, we've each taken her from the other, so we're not exactly in a position to judge each other, are we?" He paused. "You should have known better than to send her over here unsupervised after I've had a bad break up, shouldn't you have?"

"Yes," Elijah said grumpily. "I should have known better than to send her here at all. Which is why when we get home, I'm gonna lock her in a room and she won't be allowed to come out until I say so. And don't you tell her. You've fucked things up enough already."

Klaus' eyes widened. "Language, brother, _language!_" He grinned. "Just kidding. I really had no idea words like that were even capable of coming out of your mouth."

"Oh, I know many bad words," Elijah told Klaus. "But at the moment, the only ones I want to use apply to you!"

"All right!" Selina said as she came down the stairs with Colin's carrier in one hand and Laura's little hand in the other. "You go up and get Laura's toys so we can put them in the car and then we're out of here!"

Elijah frowned, but grabbed the toys anyway and threw them in the trunk of his car. The ride home was spent in awkward silence, and after putting Laura and Colin in their rooms (and ascertaining that Gregory would be okay staying with Mikael), Selina and Elijah finally got to her spare bedroom and shut the door behind them, letting all the anger out.

"I don't see what you're so mad about," Elijah said. "What did I do that was so wrong?"

"What did you do?" Selina asked. "Elijah, you _compelled_ me! You hijacked my mind for your own personal use! Don't you realize what a bad thing that is?! And to make me your sex toy of all things! Something is really wrong with you, I don't care if you say otherwise. I'm going to call Alistair so he can come and have a look at you!"

"No!" Elijah said, grabbing her arm. "You're not going anywhere, _especially_ not to see Alistair. As for what you did under compulsion, it was nothing that you wouldn't do normally. I don't see what the problem is."

"Exactly!" Selina said she was crying tears of frustration. "What I did under compulsion was nothing that I wouldn't have gladly done for you normally, which is why I don't understand why I had to be compelled for all of it to happen. Couldn't you have just _asked_ me? I would have said yes, you know."

"Well, how can I ask you to do things for me if you're never home because you're always working at that stupid bakery of yours?" Elijah asked. "What do you need a stupid job for anyway? I bet you never had one when you were with Niklaus. He probably got to have you whenever he wanted."

"Things were different when your brother and I were together," Selina said. "Back then, I only had one kid at a time. I didn't have Roxie until Adrian was a teenager, and I didn't have Lucy until Roxie was a teenager. But now, I have three kids all under the age of five who need my constant care and attention. The bakery is the only way I can have a break! And when you act normally, you're always out hunting with your father, or preparing to hunt with your father. Has it ever occurred to you that sometimes, I miss you too?"

"Well, the solution here is very obvious then," Elijah said. "You and I just need to be alone. And if I wasn't still so incensed about finding you naked with my brother, I would gladly take you to the library and not let you out of my sight for hours, but based on your recent behavior, who knows when I'll feel like doing that?" He eyed her with distaste.

"Oh, like you're such a blameless guy yourself!" Selina replied. "At this point, I wouldn't sleep with you for any reason at all! So I guess neither of us are gonna get what we want, will we?"

"No," Elijah said firmly. "I guess not. Although..." He rooted around in the dresser drawer and pulled out the pair of handcuffs he'd used on her on her birthday, looked down at them, and then shook his head. He turned and held her tight. "You will stay in here until you decide you're going to behave yourself," he said. "Because I'm not a monster, I'll bring Colin in here too, so you can take care of him, along with some of his things, but basically, this will be where you stay. How long is your choice. I'm sorry it had to come to this, darling. I really am." She started to get up and he said firmly, "Stay! Don't you move unless your reason for moving has something to do with caring for Colin."

He left and came back with Colin and Colin's things a few minutes later. He handed Colin to Selina, put his things under the bed, and then left Selina without another word.

Once he was gone, Selina tried to stand up, but literally found it impossible. She growled and sat back down until Colin let out a cry and then she found that she was able to get up, grab him and get him taken care of before her body sat her back down on the bed. She thought her not being able to get up before had been a temporary thing, but try as she might, she couldn't get up when she tried again. "You can't keep me in here!" She yelled. "This is just wrong!" The door opened and Elijah looked at her. "Well, you know what you have to do to get out, don't you? It's not that difficult." He came in, his hand reaching down to rub her knee. "Are you saying you want out?" He asked. "Are you willing to do what I want you to in order to get out? How disappointing. I honestly thought you'd put up more of a fight. He grinned, his lips against her ear. "You have no idea how much you arouse me when you're angry."

"Oh, get off and go away, would you?" yelled, giving him a shove. He landed hard on the floor, frowning deeply at her and giving her a hiss. "Am I supposed to be scared?" She asked. "Go bother someone else, would you?"

"You'll regret how harsh you're being to me," he said. "Has it occurred to you that I don't _want_ thing to be this way? I came in here hoping that your attitude had improved and I'd be able to let you out, but sadly, it doesn't look like that's the way of things. I'll be on my way now," he said, turning his back on her. Selina got out a very angry-sounding "Goodbye!" before he'd even finished his sentence. When to door closed, Selina leaned against the backrest of the chair, pondering what the easiest way to get out of here would be so that she could make contact with Alistair and he could come and fix whatever the hell was wrong with Elijah.

* * *

Elijah didn't try to come into the room again, which made it easier for Selina to think. Finally, she reached the only conclusion that made sense: she'd have to make Elijah believe she was ready and willing to apologize to him for what had happened with Klaus and prepared to make it up to him. She had no idea if he'd believe her or not, but it was the only idea she had.

"Honey?" She called. "Honey, come in here, please!"

She heard Elijah running down the hallway toward the room. He then yanked the door open and poked his head in. "What?" he asked. "What is it?"

"Oh," she said, trying to keep herself relaxed and looking happy. "I've decided I've let this silly fight go on long enough. Come here and help me out of this chair, would you?"

"Well of course," Elijah nodded. "As long as you really mean it. You're not lying to me, are you?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm really not! I am completely willing to do whatever needs to be done to make things better between us. I don't like it when we fight. How about we kiss and make up, huh?"

Elijah felt that something was suspicious, but her lips were so enticing, he thought he'd take the risk. He pulled her to her feet and kissed her, but as they were kissing, he suddenly felt the wind get knocked out of him. Selina punched him in the gut and he toppled to the floor. He lay there for a second, momentarily stunned. But that didn't last long at all and he was able to crawl toward her as she ran for the bedroom door and make a grab for her ankle. She kicked him in the face and managed to make it out the door. Breathing hard, she shut the door behind her and took off running toward her and Elijah's bedroom. Her purse with her cell phone in it was on the bed. Alistair knew her number and would surely answer right away. She managed to make it to the room first and shut the door just in time, standing against it so that Elijah couldn't get in.

"Let me in, darling," he called. His voice sounded sweet, but she knew he was angry. "You know I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk, that's all."

"Drop dead!" Selina called back.

"Enough of this!" Elijah yelled. He gave the door a hard push and it opened, sending Selina toppling to the floor. She turned, a whimper escaping her throat as Elijah advanced on her, his face angry. Selina took a deep breath and closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks, praying that when he killed her, it wouldn't be too painful. He lay a hand on her shoulder, but then, he let out a yell as he was suddenly picked up off his feet and thrown backwards into the bedroom wall, ending up in a crumpled heap on the floor. "What?" Selina asked, dazed.

"You called me, didn't you?" A voice asked. Selina looked up and saw Alistair standing over her.

"How?" Selina asked as she gave him her hand and he helped her up. "I didn't call you at all! I wasn't able to even make it to my phone! How did you get here?"

"You really needed me," he said to her. "You were yelling so loud, it was impossible not to hear. I know you think you didn't say anything, and you most likely didn't, but if a witch or warlock is needed bad enough, they can sense it telepathically. Kind of like an emergency helpline for witches."

"Oh, my god," Selina said. "So it doesn't just work in any old situation?" Selina asked.

"No," Alistair said. "You wouldn't emergency services if you wanted to order a pizza or something like that, would you?" Alistair asked. "Bad example, but you know what I mean, don't you?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I suppose I do." She hugged him. "Thank you so much," she said. "I have no idea what's wrong with him, but I know _something_ is. He's acting very strangely, doing things he never would normally. I mean, at first it was just little things: He bought jeans, walked around the house without clothes on expect for boxers, ate from people, that sort of thing. And I can't say I didn't enjoy that. Then, he suggested we have sex in his special chair. We did. It was great..."

"When did the troubling things start?" Alistair asked cutting her off.

"I don't think it's been too long," Selina said. "But he compelled me to be some sort of sexy plaything for him so that I'd stay home and stop going to the bakery. He basically made me lose all my common sense. And you _know_ what I'm like without my common sense," Selina finished.

Alistair nodded. "Well, of course," he said. "I witnessed it for several years while you and Klaus were together. You were very physical the two of you."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Today, Klaus and Elijah took Laura to the toy store and then Elijah left Laura at Klaus' to play. Then, he had to go work with his father, which left me to be the one to pick up Laura. Klaus answered the door and then told me he and Caroline had broken up. One thing led to another and the next thing you know, Klaus and I are on each other like animals and Elijah strides in and sees us. That's when he took the compulsion off and then put me in the bedroom, forbidding me to come out until I agreed to 'behave myself'. I don't think I need to tell you what that's code for. I tricked him, escaped, he got mad, and here you are."

Before Alistair could say anything, they heard a groan as Elijah got up from the floor. "I don't feel so well," he said. His face was covered in blood and so was the carpet.

"Well, let's get you cleaned up and then we'll talk about why that is," Alistair said, hustling Elijah off to the bathroom. Elijah got cleaned off and when Alistair brought him back, he said, "Elijah, do you know why I'm here?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "But it's probably Selina's fault. I told her I didn't want you here."

"It's good she called me anyway, though," Alistair replied. "Do you know why she wants me here? She's very concerned about how you've been acting lately. She feels you've changed for the worse. Do you have any idea why that might be?"

Elijah sat in angry silence for a moment and then he said, "I did it for _her_! She's always telling me that I'm not exciting enough, and I thought, 'Maybe she's right,' so I went to see that granddaughter of yours and she said she could make me fun. She did a little magic and there was this whooshing sound and then I was fun."

"You let an eight-year-old witch put a spell on you?" Alistair asked in shock. "No wonder you ended up like this!" He looked at Selina. "We have to go to Lucy's. That's where Lenora is and she's the only one who can undo the spell. Grab Colin and let's go."

* * *

"What's going on, you guys?" Lucy asked when she opened the door. They all went inside and Alistair said, "Is Lenora around? We have to speak with her. It's a matter of some urgency."

"She's not here," Lucy told him. "I've been having some trouble with my love life lately and as a result, I had Lenora do a time spell for me. I had her send Damon Salvatore the vampire back to 1863 while Damon Salvatore the human stayed in this time. Then, Lenora volunteered to go back in time to 1863 and check up on vampire Damon for me, so that's why she's not here. What's the problem? Is it something I can fix?"

"No," Alistair said. "It has to be Lenora. We need her to remove a spell. But I guess it will have to wait. We don't have any other choice, do we?"


	35. Do You Know What It Takes?

"So let me get this straight," Lucy told Alistair. "You have a problem you need Lenora to fix that's a matter of some urgency and all you're gonna do is sit here and wait until she comes back?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "And we can discuss your wanton use of time travel while we do that." He cleared his throat. "So, what's going on?"

"Yeah!" Selina added. "Lucy, what is wrong with you? You can't just send vampire Damon back into the past and keep human Damon here. It's not right, especially when you consider what things were like for vampires in Mystic Falls in 1863. I was there and I can tell you that things were not good. That's why Doctor Stensrund kept things quiet and I only found out after I got sick and he gave me his blood to cure me."

"He'll be all right," Lucy said. "He's very smart most of the time. He won't let himself or Lenora get hurt."

"Well, why did you send him back in the first place?" Selina asked.

"Because I found out what he did to Caroline, you know? The bad stuff. And I was worried that if he did it to her, he'd do it to me too, if things ever got bad between us." She cast her eyes down.

Selina sighed and put her arms around her daughter. "I know it's hard to find out things like that about people," she said. "You think someone's just the greatest thing since sliced bread, and then you realize sooner or later that they're a person just like everyone else, with faults and secrets and bad habits. And then you have to decide what you're gonna do with that information; whether it will be enough to make you throw away all the good stuff, or if you can accept the good with the bad and still be with a person you love dearly."

"How did you react when you realized Damon wasn't exactly a shining example of virtue?" Lucy asked her. "Was it hard for you?"

"Well," Selina replied, "I think I always knew he wasn't an angel. He gave me my first bottle of whisky when I was fourteen._ Fourteen_, for crying out loud! And I heard everything his father said about him. How he drank, how he gambled, how he fought."

"Didn't that bother you at all?" Lucy asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "Not really. To me, all those things made him seem, I don't know, more exciting, more unpredictable. Then again, I've never been a shining example of goodness myself, so it would make sense that I would still be drawn to him in spite of his wrong doings."

"But I am, so what am I supposed to do?" Lucy asked.

"Well," Selina scoffed, looking at Lucy in surprise. "Don't we have a high opinion of ourselves?"

"Well, you know what I mean," Lucy sighed. "I've not actually experienced the dark side of things, like you and everyone else has, so it's harder for me to accept it and just let it go."

"I understand that," Selina told her. "And there are times when I wonder if it might have been better for you to grow up with your father for precisely that reason. But we can't just go back and redo what's been done, so no point in dwelling on it, is there?"

"No," Lucy said. "I guess not. But that's why I kept human Damon here. To remind me that there _is_ nice in him. Plus, human him thinks more about me. To vampire him, even though I love him, I've always had this vague feeling that I was more of a way to assure him of his goodness rather than an equal partner in our relationship. Maybe knowing he has a rival will make him care more, you know? Or at least try harder."

"I know relationships are hard," Selina told her. "Sometimes, you get disappointed. Bad things happen. You get your heart broken. But what you have to decide is, if the relationship is worth keeping. Do you think your relationship with Damon is something you want to hold on to?"

"I don't know," Lucy replied, locking eyes with her. "What do you think?"

"I don't know if I'm the right person to ask," Selina told her. "I've had lots of relationships through the years, and very few of them have actually worked out for me. I made every effort so that things would be successful, and then, sooner or later, I would discover that all my hard work was for nothing because the man would move on to someone else without so much as a word for me. By the time I met your father, I was at my wits' end. I didn't want to care about anyone, nor did I want anyone to care about me. That way, if they left me, I wouldn't be disappointed. In it's own weird, twisted way, the relationship I had with your father when we first met was the first good relationship I had, kind of. It gave me a foundation. It let me know that I was worth having attention paid to me and that I wasn't the sort of girl men just were with until they found someone better. He made me feel beautiful, powerful. And for a short while, that was enough.

"And then?" Lucy asked. "Then what happened? You wanted more?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Being in relationships where I didn't really let myself get involved was nice for awhile. I think it helped heal me. But we were in Paris, of course, and every day you would see couples in love walking down the street, kissing and holding hands, and as the twenties ended, I would sit on park benches during the day and watch those couples, thinking that it must be nice to be like them and maybe it was time to let myself trust again, regardless of what happened. So, after the longest off topic tangent ever, I guess what I'm trying to say is, you have every right to be concerned about the things in Damon's past he neglected to tell you about, and I think it's wise you decided to take a break from him and get your head together. But I know you love the Damon you sent away, and sooner or later, you're gonna start missing him, so based on personal experience, don't throw him away just yet, all right?"

Lucy nodded. "Thank you," she said. "I'll think about it."

"Now," Alistair said, "back to the reason we're here; I think it would just be easiest for me to go back and see if I can find Lenora. Everyone else can stay here."

"You're leaving?" Elijah asked. "Wonderful!"

"Yes, I'm leaving," Alistair said. "But before I do, we need to make satisfactory living arrangements for the two of you."

"What's wrong with how we're living now?" Elijah asked, looking outraged. "We're fine!"

"Speak for yourself," Selina said. She gave Alistair a look. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I thought that while I was gone, you would stay at your house and Elijah would stay somewhere else," Alistair told her. "Is that a problem?"

Selina narrowed her eyes at Elijah. "Not at all. I think we could use a cooling off period."

Alistair nodded while Elijah glowered behind him. "Very well then," he said. "You go back home, Elijah, come with me."

"No," Elijah shook his head. "I don't want to. You can't make me."

Selina burst out laughing. "He just slammed your entire body into a wall without any effort. I think he _can_ make you and he will."

"And in case you think it will be easy to defy me because I will be gone, my wife will be at the house with you, Elijah," Alistair told him. "She is as powerful as I am. Don't cross her."

"You think I'm afraid of a woman?" Elijah asked, laughter in voice. "I'm not."

"Well, then I feel sorry for you," Alistair answered. "Now let's go. Selina, would you mind sitting in the backseat?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. "Whatever. I'll be out in a minute." She watched Alistair lead a resistant Elijah out the door and then turned to Lucy. "Are you gonna be all right?" She asked.

Lucy nodded. "I think so. Look, I know that what I did was wrong, but everyone has to make mistakes now and again, right? And it doesn't mess up history too bad, his being here. Does it?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Not in a _major_ way, anyway." The horn of the car honked loudly. "I suppose I better go before your crazy uncle gets even _more_ impatient." She rolled her eyes and headed out the door. Lucy went to the window to watch their car drive away and then she sighed.

"Are you all right?" Damon asked, appearing behind her. "Is there a problem?"

"No," Lucy shook her head. "I just, I don't know what I'm doing. Like, sometimes you do something that you think is the right thing and then you don't know if it is or not."

Damon gave her a smile and came to stand next to her, taking her hand. "Back home, the Confederacy is everything. Every man and their brother is signing up to fight for the ultimate cause. But I know I'm not going to."

"Why not?" Lucy asked. "You sound very sure about that."

"Your mother," he said. "She already lost her father in a war. I don't want her to lose me too. So I'm not going to fight. And if my father makes me, I'll humor him by doing it for a little while, then quit and come home. Hopefully, if it comes to that, your mother will understand."

"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "I bet she will. I was just talking with Mom about whether or not keeping you here was the right thing. Do you think I'm being selfish? Do you _want_ to go home?"

Damon shook his head. "As long as the other me is there, I doubt anyone misses me too much. They probably can't even tell the difference."

"Well, really, should there be one?" Lucy asked. "In reality, you _are_ the same person, it's just that other you has had a lot more life experience."

"I guess you're right," Damon nodded. "But in answer to your question, no, I don't want to go home. Not if you'd still like to have me here."

"Well, Mom did tell me that nothing in history gets irreparably messed up by the change, so yes, I'd like you to stay." She put her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. "In fact, I insist on it." Then, she looked up at him and kissed him while a pleasant warmth spread throughout her body.

* * *

"So, how have things been with you since last week?" Alistair asked when he and Astrid met at their usual table at a fancy restaurant called Enchant, where they met a couple of times a week when he could get away from the craziness of his charges and she could find time off from her job with the magical government. "What's new?"

Astrid ran her fingers through her hair. "Oh, don't ask," she said. "It's nothing you'd want to hear about, trust me."

"Are you sure?" Alistair asked her. "Because it sounds like it might be. And I promise you that whatever you have to say is not any worse than what I have to say. I can handle it."

"How about you go first so I can think of the best way to phrase what I'm going to say?" Astrid asked him.

"Well, all right," Alistair nodded. "It seems our incredibly precocious granddaughter has done a spell that has gone awry, but at the moment, thanks to her aunt Lucy, she's taken a time travel trip back to 1863. I have to go back and get her so she can remove said spell. While I'm gone, would you mind watching Elijah? Whatever it was that Lenora did to him has caused him to undergo a radical personality change and not necessarily for the good. I've decided he and Selina need to be separated and while I'm gone, someone will need to watch him so he doesn't try to leave our house and go back to his."

"Well, goodness," Astrid said. "Alistair, just what kind of spell did Lenora put on Elijah?"

Alistair sighed and reached for a piece of bread, deftly buttering it and then putting his knife down. He took a bite, swallowed, and put the bread down. "It was some sort of spell to take all of his seriousness and common sense away or something," he said. "Apparently, he did it because he worried that Selina was becoming bored with him and he wanted to seem more fun to her and didn't believe he could do so on his own."

"Well is it just me, or is everyone way too dependent on magic?" Astrid asked. "It's not a quick fix for anything. In fact, it causes more trouble than it relieves if you don't do it right."

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "You know that, and I know that. Why do you think people always avoid us and go to Lenora when they want something done? Because they know we'll say 'no' and she's young enough and inexperienced enough to say 'yes' to everything because she still believes magic can be a cure all for every ill. Helene will really have to have a talk with her about that, and soon."

"And that is a perfect segue into what I have to tell you," Astrid said. "I don't think it would be advisable at this point for me to let Helene or Adrian come back home. Not for awhile, anyway."

"Why not?" Alistair asked, putting his palms down hard on the table and leaning forward. "What's happened? Is Helene hurt? Did Adrian kill anyone?"

"No, no!" Astrid shook her head. "They didn't do anything to anyone. Both of them are all right. Although they might have done a certain something to each other while under the influence of a love potion without taking the proper precautions."

"How did they get anywhere near a _love_ potion?" Alistair asked, eyes wide. "Helene knows she's not supposed to go anywhere near those!"

"Well, it's not as bad as it could be, considering that Adrian and she both took some."

"I guess not," Alistair conceded. "But you _have_ warned them about the dangers of becoming dependent, having you?"

Astrid nodded. "Of course I have, Alistair. But that's not the real issue. Didn't you pay attention to the rest of what I said?"

"No, dear, I'm sorry," Alistair told her. "What else did you say?"

"While they were under the influence of the love potion, they-" Here Astrid struggled to find a delicate way to describe how she'd found Adrian and Helene under the shower spiggot in the cell. "They had sex while under the influence of the love potion. Quite frequently. And they didn't use any sort of protection, so I have no doubt that we'll have another grandchild on the way at any time."

"Damn it, Astrid!" Alistair whispered. "Couldn't you have phrased that more delicately?"

Astrid shrugged. "I tried, believe me, I did. But I couldn't think of a way. I'm sorry. Why are you acting so surprised? How do you think Lenora got here? The stork?"

"No, of course not!" Alistair shook his head. "I am perfectly aware that Adrian and Helene engage in certain expressions of physical love. I just prefer not to think about it, all right?"

"How long has it been since I told you that I think you're adorable?" Astrid asked and kissed him.

Alistair flushed a little. "I don't think you've said it recently," he said.

"Oh," she grinned. "Well, I think you're just adorable. And it wouldn't be any trouble for me to watch Elijah.

Alistair sighed. "Good. So, we're going to have another grandchild soon. I wonder how Helene and Adrian are taking that?"

* * *

"What do you mean you think you're most likely pregnant?" Adrian asked. "Please tell me your kidding."

"Why?" Helene asked. "What's wrong with me being pregnant?"

"We decided we weren't gonna have any kids after Lenora!" Adrian replied, trying to keep a grip on his temper.

"Well, maybe I've decided I want to have another one, all right?" Helene said. "What is so bad about that? It's not like when I was pregnant with Lenora and we had no idea what the hell we were getting into. We're experienced this time."

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "We're plenty experienced. And if experience has taught me anything, it's that I don't want to go through it again, end of story."

"I don't like what you're saying," Helene told him.

"Well, _I_ don't like always being Lenora's experimental guinea pig!" Adrian said. "Every time she wants to try some new magic, you always say, 'Here, try it out on your father. He won't mind'. Do you have _any_ idea how irritating that is? And whenever I try to teach her how to use what _I _gave her, you're always, 'Oh, no, you can't do that. It's _wrong'. _How is that fair, Helene?"

"Well, you have to admit there is a _big_ difference between teaching her how to do something useful like magic and teaching her how to kill things and suck the blood out of them," Helene shot back. "I just don't want Lenora to be scarred for life."

"What gives you the right to decide everything for us?" Adrian asked. "You decided when we were gonna get married, you decided we were gonna have Lenora, you decided we're gonna have this kid, and you didn't consult me about anything! What is my point in this relationship, Helene? Do you actually want me to be involved, or am I just breeding stock for you?"

Helene's jaw dropped. She stuttered a few syllables and sat down on the bed. Finally, she found her voice. "You're wrong," she said. "I _love_ you. What would possibly make you think that I would trick you into something like this?"

"Well," Adrian sighed. "When we got married, I was drunk. After you died and I wanted time to grieve, you possessed my girlfriend's body. You manipulated me into agreeing to have Lenora, and now, with this kid, you're doing it again. Was it your plan to get pregnant again all along? Is that why you brought me to that stupid convention? Cause you knew that that stupid woman wanted you to marry her son and would give you love potion somehow, so you made sure that we both had it cause you knew it would turn us into sex-crazy people who didn't use protection, and then voila! You're pregnant again without having to actually ask me and run the risk of me saying 'no'."

"Well, would you have said 'no' if I _had_ asked you?" Helene asked.

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "But that doesn't matter to you anyway, does it? What I feel doesn't matter to you as long as you get what you want."

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way," Helene said. "I didn't know I was so horrible to you. And don't worry. I'll never tell Lenora that you didn't want her. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to send the cat away." Then, she left to send the cat to Lucy's where Lenora could have him for company until she and Adrian got back home.

Adrian stood alone in the room, his eyes closed tight, his head aching, _wishing_ that he was home so that he and his father could go to Enid's, get hammered, and he could forget all about this, at least for a little while.

* * *

That night, Elijah couldn't sleep. He wasn't used to it, honestly, considering that he spent most of his evenings pleasuring Selina until sunup, but she wasn't here. He sat up as he realized that she could be, though. How hard would it be to sneak past Astrid, leave, and then go visit Selina? Astrid wouldn't even know he was missing. He got up, dressed, and then crossed his dark room to the door. Upon opening it, he heard a yell.

"What the hell?" He whispered as he noticed the shape lying in a prone position in front of his door. It picked up a flashlight and turned it on, revealing Astrid. "May I help you?" She asked. "Just where do you think you're going?"

"Oh, I was just...I was going to the bathroom," Elijah said. "May I do that now?"

"You could...if that was the real reason you were leaving. How about being honest with me now," Astrid said to him. "You were trying to leave and go see Selina, weren't you?"

"Yes!" Elijah said. "I know Alistair said not to, but I don't know _why_! It's just not fair!"

Astrid sighed. "Come here and I'll explain it to you." She led him to the kitchen and they sat down at the table after she made a cup of tea for herself. "You see," Astrid told him patiently, "You're not acting like yourself right now and it's making Selina unhappy, so Alistair wants you to stay apart until you're better."

"But there's nothing wrong with me," Elijah told her. "I'm perfectly fit."

Astrid took a sip of tea and pushed her blonde hair from her face. "I'm sure you are," she said. "But it has nothing to do with your appearance. However long ago, you asked my granddaughter Lenora to do some magic for you. She took all your common sense away and now Alistair has gone to find her so that he can figure out how to give it back to you."

"You mean he's looking for the box?" Elijah asked.

"What box?" Astrid replied.

"The box Lenora put all my sense in," he said. "It's somewhere at Lucy's house I think. Or Alistair's. I can't remember."

"Well, that's useful to know," Astrid said.

"Since I said something helpful, can I go see Selina now?" He asked.

"No," Astrid shook her head, but she got up and walked over to the phone, taking it out of the cradle and sitting down with it. "But I will call her and see if she wants to talk to you. If she does, I'll hand over the phone."

When Selina answered, she answered immediately. "Hello," she said. "Astrid, what's the matter?"

"Would you want to talk to Elijah?" Astrid asked her. "I caught him trying to sneak out to see you."

"What does he want to talk to me about?" Selina asked. "If it's anything sex-related, all he needs to do is go on his phone. There are enough pictures of me on there sans clothes that it should keep him happy for awhile. Not that he's paid me the same courtesy, but that's something else entirely."

"So you don't want to talk to him?" Astrid confirmed.

"No," Selina said. "I don't really have anything to say."

"Well, goodnight," Astrid told her. "Sleep well." She went and hung the phone back up and then looked sorrowfully at Elijah. "Sorry she didn't want to talk to you, but she said that if you needed to be entertained, there were lots of, we'll call them _artistic_ pictures of her on your phone for you to look at."

"You mean the naked pictures?" Elijah asked, looking disappointed. "I already looked at those! Just let me go see her and I promise I'll behave myself."

"No, you won't," Astrid said firmly. "Now get back to your room."

Elijah got up, glared at Astrid and stomped back to his room. He rolled around in his bed, muttering angrily to himself. He had to punish Selina somehow. He was her husband! She couldn't just ignore him! Finally, it occurred to him how to do it.

* * *

Selina had been sleeping a sound, dreamless sleep until she heard the door to her bedroom open. She sat up, preparing to throw the covers aside and rush whoever was coming in. But as the figure got closer to the bed, she saw that it was a man and she felt herself being drawn toward him. When he was right beside her, he took her in his arms and kissed her soundly, lowering her onto the bed. "I wonder what you taste like," he whispered.

"Elijah?" Selina whispered back. "Is that you? What are you doing in my room? Alistair promised me you wouldn't be able to leave his house."

"I haven't," he whispered back. "Relax, this is just a dream. This is all in your head." He began stroking her and she whimpered. He leaned over her and said, "As I was saying, I wonder what you taste like, hmmm? I bet you're very sweet. Will you let me have a bite?"

"Yes," she nodded. "But just a little one. Don't take too much."

"Don't worry," he assured her. "I'll be gentle." He kissed her on the lips and then planted little kisses down her neck before biting deep and drinking. She was sweet. _Very_ sweet. Why Niklaus had never mentioned this before, he had no idea. After he'd had his fill, he cleaned her neck off with a cloth and climbed into bed beside her, taking her in his arms. "Are you all right?" He asked her.

"Yes," she said. But her voice was soft, weak. He let her rest for a moment and then stroked her again before finally driving into her.

Selina woke up with the sound of her shrieks of pleasure still ringing in her ears.

The next morning, Selina left the kids with her mother and drove over to Alistair's to give Elijah a piece of her mind. She parked the car in the street and stomped up to the front door, leaning on the bell so that it kept buzzing until someone answered.

"Well, well, well," Elijah said with a grin when he opened it. "Look who it is. Did you sleep well last night, lover?"


	36. The Fuse Is Lit

"Oh, my god!" Roxie looked on with amazement as her brother strolled through the door of Enid's. "What are you doing here? I thought you and Helene were at some witch retreat thingy. She let you out from under her heel? That's so impressive!"

"And you're holding onto a baby while standing behind a bar," Adrian said to his sister. "That's impressive too. I thought you liked Helene."

Roxie nodded and put Addie down. She just sat on the floor, staring up at Roxie, but not moving. "I _do_ like Helene," Roxie said. "But I don't understand why she had to take you with her in the first place."

"You know what? Me neither!" Adrian exclaimed. "She told me we were gonna have all this time together and we had it, but then you know what? She went and got pregnant again after we specifically decided that wasn't gonna happen."

"You can't blame her entirely," Roxie pointed out. "It's not like she can get pregnant all by herself. Would it have hurt you all that much to take a few condoms with you?"

"I did!" Adrian said. "I'm not stupid! But then I got tricked into taking some love potion by this crazy woman who wanted Helene to marry her son and suddenly condoms weren't important anymore!"

"If the woman wanted Helene to marry _her_ son, why did you get the love potion?" Roxie asked. "I'm confused." She felt a tug on her pants and looked down at Addie. "What's up?" She asked. "Are you hungry?" She went and got some crackers out from behind the bar, opened them and handed them down to her daughter, then picked her up so she was standing. As Addie began chewing on the crackers, she sauntered away in the direction of Enid's office.

"Wow," Adrian said in surprise. "You're actually a competent parent. That surprises me, Roxie. But just one thing. Don't you have another kid too? Where's he?"

"Shhh!" Roxie put her finger to her lips. "He's with Vince. But we're not really supposed to talk about him around here because it might get Enid in trouble if the wrong person hears."

"Oh," Adrian nodded. "I get that. Never mind, then."

"So, what does one get to drink after one spends what seems like an eternity getting picked apart by a bunch of judgmental old witches?" Roxie asked her brother.

Adrian shook his head. "It doesn't really matter," he said. "Surprise me and make it big!"

Just then, Klaus came into the main barroom carrying Addie. "Do you realize she was wandering around aimlessly?" He asked Roxie. "Do you let her wander off often?"

"No!" Roxie said defensively. "I knew exactly where she was. She's fine! I bet I can ask Enid and she'll tell me a gazillion stories about how you let me do the same thing while you were here, so don't you judge me!"

"Well, all right!" Klaus said. "I just wanted to make sure you were aware of where she was so you didn't lose her."

"I wouldn't lose her," Roxie said firmly. "I'm perfectly capable of raising my own kid, thank you."

"You know," Adrian said, looking at Klaus. "I think we should believe her. If her kids lived through their first two years, they're probably all right."

"I suppose," Klaus answered. "Your mother wasn't particularly overattentive about the two of you either, and you turned out fine." He paused. "You got back early. Where's Helene?"

"She's not here," Adrian answered. "She's still back amongst her people. I elected to leave."

"Helene's pregnant," Roxie supplied. "And he's having trouble dealing with that information."

Klaus grinned and clapped Adrian on the back. "Well, congratulations!" He said. "I can't wait to see what this new child will be like. If Lenora's any clue, they'll probably be extraordinary."

"Yeah," Adrian said morosely. "They _would_ be if Helene would let me do anything with them, which she won't! Did you know that Lenora has next to no idea what she can do as a vampire? Helene won't even let me show her because she says it would 'scar her for life'." He rolled his eyes. "It's not like I'd take Lenora out to kill things or anything like that, but she doesn't even care. She just keeps on learning witchcraft and I always get to be the guinea pig. You wouldn't believe the stuff I've been turned into over the years. It's indecent. It's undignified. I shouldn't have to put up with that, should I?"

"Has she ever let Lenora turn you into a goat?" Roxie wanted to know. "Have you ever had to be chained up in a yard during a rainstorm?"

"No," Adrian said. "I haven't."

"Well, I have," Roxie told him. "So I win."

"You deserved that, though," Adrian said. "You were being irritating. They're just using me for sport! I need to reclaim my dignity. And I can't do that if I'm with Helene. End of story."

"What?" Roxie asked, looking amazed. "You're abandoning your wife when she's pregnant? What a dick!"

"I'm just making it easy for her," Adrian shrugged. "She wants to raise the kid all by herself, so I'll make that possible. I bet she'll thank me."

Roxie made Adrian up a large mug of something. He held out his hand for it, but she held it away. "Have you been drinking already?" She asked. "Maybe you shouldn't have this."

"What would make you think I've been drinking already?" Adrian asked. "I'm fine!"

"You're talking about abandoning your kid!" Roxie pointed out. "I know you're overwhelmed right now, but you can't be serious about that."

"Oh, I am," Adrian nodded. "Both of us get what we want: she gets to raise a kid her way and I get the privilege of not worrying about it. Sounds good to me."

"What are you gonna do in the meantime?" Roxie asked. "Are you gonna move out? Where are you gonna go?"

"I don't know at the moment," Adrian said. "But I have no doubt that it won't be hard for me to find a place."

"Be serious, son," Klaus told him. "I understand you and Helene might be having some difficulties, but are they really enough for you to just throw everything away?"

"Tell me something, Dad," Adrian asked. "You've had Alistair around for a long time, right? Has he ever been such a pain in the ass that you've wanted to just get rid of him? Did he ever just nag and nag and nag and tell you that you had to do this thing and that thing and that you had no choice in it whatsoever?"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Not really. At the beginning of our association, he did whatever I told him to do, and then as the years piled on, things became more relaxed between us and I let him have more freedom. He became less like my slave, which was his original purpose, thanks to that little crime he committed against the leader of his clan, and more like my-my-"

"Secretary/nanny/friend?" Roxie supplied. "Is that how you'd describe him?"

Klaus nodded. "Close enough."

"I _wish_ Helene were more like Alistair," Adrian said. "Instead of a nice guy who's actually helpful, I get a sneaky, manipulative opportunist. Just my luck, right? Why can't I just be with a person who cares about _me_ and lets me do what _I_ want?"

Just then, they heard sobbing as the door of the bar burst open and a blonde in jeans and a brown sweater approached the bar, tears streaming down her face. She sat down on a bar stool near Adrian and he said "Roxie, why don't you give me what you're holding there and get something for Tessa. She looks like she needs it."

"Oh, thanks," Tessa sniffled, pushing her blonde hair out of her eyes. "Thank you, Adrian. I really _do_ need something."

"Why?" He asked her. "What happened? You're not hurt or in trouble, are you?"

"No," she shook her head. "My boyfriend and I just broke up. It came completely out of nowhere. He was seeing another woman behind my back and he-" She burst into fresh sobs and threw herself in Adrian's arms. Her crying made Addie start sobbing too and as Roxie made her way around the bar, Klaus stood up. "No worries, Roxanne. I'll take care of her. You can stay."

"Thanks, but there are a million other places I'd rather be," Roxie told him. Just then, her cell phone rang. "Oh, would you look at that!" She said. "I have to go answer my phone. What a lucky break." As Klaus carried Addie off, Roxie went into another room, far away from Tessa's sobbing. "Hello? And please tell me you have lots to say because I have no desire to go back to the bar any time quick."

"Have you seen my sister?" Vince asked. "Is she at the bar? That jackass boyfriend of hers broke up with her and she's not taking it well."

"Yeah, she's here," Roxie assured him. "And she's currently sobbing into my brother Adrian's shoulder."

"I thought he was with Helene," Vince said. "What happened between them?"

"Oh, nothing," Roxie assured her husband. "Helene's just pregnant again and Adrian's a little overwhelmed so they're taking time apart. They'll come to their senses eventually."

"Are you worried about Tessa and Adrian?" Vince asked. "I know she's not your favorite person in the world."

"I can't say I'm happy," Roxie told him. "She's totally taking advantage of him at a vulnerable moment!"

"Does she even know what's going _on_ with your brother?" Vince asked. "You can't say she's taking advantage of a vulnerable moment if she has no idea what she's supposed to be taking advantage of."

Roxie sighed. "No, I don't think she knows." An idea suddenly popped up in Roxie's mind. "When Helene comes back, let's tell her what's going on between Tessa and Adrian. I bet she'll get so mad she'll break them up and then she and Adrian will get back together!"

"No," Vince said immediately. "Roxie, just leave them alone, okay? If being with my sister is what your brother needs right now, then that's that. It's none of your business even if it makes you unhappy."

"How can you say that?" Roxie demanded. "How can you pick your sister's feelings over mine?!"

"You'll never guess what," Vince said. "Joey wants to talk to you!" Roxie rolled her eyes as she listened to her son's babble and tried to be amused by it.

"He's really coming along considering," Vince said when he finally got back on the line after what seemed like a million years. "Isn't he?"

"I guess," Roxie said noncommittally. "But you're incredibly transparent, you know. And may I say it is _incredibly _rude to ignore me while I'm talking to you."

"Well, then, I'm about to be really, _really_ rude and hang up on you," Vince told her. "Cause I don't want to talk to you while you're being so irritating. If you actually come up with something pleasant to say that has nothing to do with your brother, my sister, or both, feel free to call me back. If not-" Suddenly, the line went dead. "Vince?" Roxie yelled, taking the phone away from her ear. "You _better_ not have hung up on me, or you are gonna hear about it when I get home!" But there was no response. She let out a growl and threw her phone down hard on the floor. It broke into several pieces.

"Well great," Roxie sighed as she picked them up. "This day just gets better and better."

* * *

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Alistair asked when Helene opened her front door and saw him on the front step. "Anything at all?"

"No," Helene shook her head. "I'm fine. You go on and do what you need to do."

"Your mother called," Alistair told her as he came in and sat down on the sofa. "She said you and Adrian had a fight. What was it about? Is he here? Do you need me to talk to him for you?"

"I'm pregnant and he's upset about it," Helene confessed. "He accused me of tricking him into having another baby and not caring about his feelings. He also basically said that I'm a control freak who doesn't let him have equal time with Lenora. He left on his own and now I have no idea where he is. Maybe it's better that way."

"First off," Alistair said, coming to put an arm around her, "congratulations. Second, what would make him say something like that? He's usually so even tempered. _Did_ you trick him?"

"No!" Helene shook her head. "Didn't mom tell you that we were given a love potion? _I didn't plan that_!" When she said this last sentence, her voice was loud and defensive.

"All right, all right," Alistair said. "You can calm down now. I understand. Did he give you any clues as to why he's so angry?"

"Well, he _claimed_ that I 'hijacked' Lenora's personality so that she knows next to nothing about her vampire side, and had no respect for his wishes to only have one kid since they were so complex. I mean, sure we agreed to have one kid only, but Lenora's older now and I decided I wanted another one."

"Did Adrian agree with this?" Alistair asked her. "Did you even _ask_ him?"

"Well, what other choice do we have?" Helene asked. "I refuse to abort the kid and it's not like we can just send it to an orphanage. It's too special for that. I _know_ I probably should have talked to Adrian before making any decision about keeping the baby, but he was nervous about Lenora at first and grew to love_ her_ a whole lot. Who's to say the same thing won't happen with the other kid? Once he sees it, he'll love it. I just have to get him back here." She paused. "What do you think is the best way to do that?"

"I think you should leave him alone for now," Alistair told her. "Let him come back when he's ready. It's the least you can do after disregarding his feelings the way you did."

"So you're saying I should just _allow_ him to abandon his child because he's throwing a temper tantrum?" Helene asked, feeling shocked. "Daddy, I thought you had more sense than that."

"It's not my sense that is suggesting this to you, but my life experience," Alistair said. "Lest you forget, Adrian is the son of a man with a very short fuse. Adrian's fuse is a bit longer, but will still blow up if you light it. Being around Klaus has taught me one thing: when he's angry, you leave him alone, let him get over it, get drunk, do whatever he needs to do, and then he'll come back and it will be like nothing has happened. Can you do that?"

"I guess if it's the only option," Helene nodded. "I have no choice, do I? By the way, have you seen Lenora? She's not at Lucy's."

"I was just on my way to get her," Alistair said. "I know where she is. Don't worry."

"When you find her, bring her straight back here, will you?"

"Of course," Alistair nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, dear..." He got up and Helene walked with him to the door. She gave him one last hug goodbye and he left, shutting the door behind him. Helene watched him go, then went back to sit on the sofa, flipping idly through the TV channels.

* * *

"Oh, Damon, you're never gonna believe this!" Louisa shouted as she came running into his and Lenora's room at the inn.

"What is it?" Damon asked.

Louisa looked between him and Lenora and said in loud whisper, "I think we should send the child away. What I'm about to tell you might be too much for her delicate ears to hear."

"Oh, I'll be all right," Lenora said. "What is it?"

But Louisa just looked at her and wouldn't say a word. Damon rolled his eyes. "Lenora, go into the bedroom, please. I'll tell you when you can come out."

Lenora just sighed, rolled her eyes, and stomped off to the bedroom. "All right," Damon said to Louisa. "She's gone. What is it?"

Louisa, eyes big, handed Damon that day's paper. "It's on the front page," she said, moving one of her red curls out of her eyes.

Damon looked and almost immediately saw what she was talking about. It was an article about a man who claimed to have been bitten by a vampire."

"Dr. Stensrund is trying to keep it quiet," Louisa whispered. "But it got out somehow, and now everyone's in a terrible panic."

"What happened to the man?" Damon asked Louisa. "Is he still alive?"

"Yes," Louisa nodded. "But they've carted him away to an asylum a few towns over. Doctor Stensrund didn't think there was any chance he'd recover."

"Well, isn't that unfortunate?" Damon observed. "Is that all you came to tell me? Or has my father commanded we go out again?"

"No," Louisa shook her head. "That's all I came to tell you. You can let your daughter out of the bedroom now." She got up and made her way to the door. "Goodbye, Damon. And you be safe now."

"Goodbye, Louisa," Damon returned. "We will." He went to let Lenora out of the bedroom and asked, "Did you hear what she told me?"

"No," Lenora shook her head. "What?"

"Apparently, your compulsion wasn't strong enough and the man you took a bite out of went into town and told everyone he was attacked by a vampire."

Lenora looked at him for a moment and then burst into tears. "I'm sorry!" She sobbed. "I didn't mean to! I did the best I could!"

"I know," Damon said, taking her in his arms. "Sweetie, I believe you. You're just inexperienced. It's not your fault. But I think it would be best if we got out of here and fast."

"I would agree with that," Alistair called. "You've been here far too long already. Let's go, shall we?"

"Yes," Damon nodded, still keeping a hold on Lenora. "Let's go. You could not have come at a better time." They followed Alistair and then a flash of light sent them back to the present and a random street corner with Alistair's car parked nearby. "Where do I go now?" Lenora asked. "Back to Aunt Lucy's?"

"No," Alistair said. "Your mother's back now. You'll go stay with her."

"Where's Daddy?" Lenora asked.

Alistair shrugged. "I don't know. He'll be back eventually, though."

"All right," Lenora said, looking disappointed. "Goodbye, Damon." She gave him a hug and then reluctantly took hold of Alistair's hand as they walked to the car and drove away.

"Hi, Lenora!" Helene said brightly when she saw her daughter.

"Hi, Mommy," Lenora said flatly. "Where's Daddy?"

"He's not here," Helene said. "But I brought you something better than your father. I brought you a kitty!" She struggled to hold up a grumpy-looking, overweight black cat. "See?"

Lenora stared at it without a word and then left to go to her room. Sighing, Helene let the cat go and it followed Lenora.

"You gave it a good try," Alistair said to Helene. "Unfortunately, cats aren't worth the same to Lenora as her father."

"Well, what am I supposed to tell her about that?" Helene asked. "That her father has abandoned her for life of meaningless frivolity?"

"No," Alistair shook his head. "Tell her the truth, but just bend it a little. I know you can do it. Go ahead. Best not to wait concerning things like this."

Helene nodded and walked to Lenora's room. She knocked on the door and Lenora said she could come in.

"You asked me where your daddy is," Helene told her. "Well, he's not here. And he probably won't be here for quite awhile."

"Why?" Lenora asked.

"Well," Helene told her, "I just found out that I'm gonna have another baby. I told your daddy and he felt overwhelmed, so he's taking a little vacation. You didn't do anything wrong, I promise and I'll make sure that he writes you or talks to you to tell you how he's doing."

Lenora nodded. "Okay. But I'm gonna miss him." As she put her head on Helene's shoulder, a tear ran down the latter's cheek. "You know what, sweetie?" She said. "Me too."

* * *

"Oh, my god!" Tessa giggled as she and Adrian managed to make their way into the hotel room that night despite the fact that their arms were wrapped around each other. "What is this? Our fourth bottle of wine?"

"I don't know," Adrian laughed. "But there's more where that came from! I can get it easy!" They pulled apart and Tessa produced a bottle of wine from a bag over her shoulder. They popped it open and, passing it back and forth between each other, managed to finish it. They then put the bottle in the waistbasket and proceeded to pull off each other's clothes, falling naked on to the bed. As they made love, Adrian's cell phone, which was in his jacket pocket, began ringing insistently.

"Maybe you should answer that," Tessa said, then groaned as he kissed down her neck.

"No," Adrian shook his head. "I won't bother. I bet whoever it is will hang up in a few seconds." But the phone kept ringing. Finally, Adrian got off Tessa and went and threw the phone in the toilet without checking to see who was calling. He then returned to Tessa and they resumed their activities with more enthusiasm then before.

As the dial tone on the other end of the line went dead, Lenora took the phone away from her ear and brought it back to her mother. "Did you talk to your daddy?" Helene asked.

"No," Lenora said, her lip jutting out as she sat next to Helene on the sofa and put her arms around her. "I let it ring and ring, but he wouldn't answer."


	37. Fighter

"I have to apologize to you one more time," Elijah said, coming up behind Selina. "I really behaved horribly, didn't I?"

Selina turned around from the bowl of chocolate chip cookie batter she was stirring and offered him the spoon. "Here," she said. "Have some. It's good."

"I don't know," Elijah shook his head.

"Oh, come on!" Selina wiggled spoon at him, a twinkle in her eye. "It won't kill you, if that's what you're worried about. And you don't have to keep apologizing. Stuff happens. We got it fixed up. And it really wasn't _so _bad. At least not until the end."

"Yes," Elijah cleared his throat and backed away, once again refusing her offer of the spoon. "All right fine," Selina said. "More cookie batter for me. You're really missing out."

"I think I'll go read in my office," Elijah told her. "Good luck with all this." He darted out of the kitchen before Selina could protest and she giggled and shook her head. The poor guy was so shy around her now. He had been ever since Alistair and Lenora had given him his sense back. Grinning, she put the spoon down and went to his office door, knocking on it. "Can I come in?" She called. "I think we have to talk."

"No, we don't!" Elijah called back.

"Yes, we do!" Selina answered. "You've been unnecessarily skittish around me lately and I think it's time we talked about why."

"We'll talk about it when I want to talk about it," Elijah said curtly when he opened the door. "Until then, just leave it alone, will you?"

"Awwww!" Selina gave him a sad smile. "You look like you need a hug. Do you want me to give you a hug?"

"No," Elijah said firmly. "I want you to leave and go about your business while I do my work. That is what I want. If I need you for anything, I will come to you. Goodbye." He shut the door, and Selina stood staring at it in silence before sighing and heading back to the kitchen to stir the cookie batter.

She didn't see Elijah again for the rest of the day, and when she ran into him that night, just before bedtime, she didn't know what to expect. "So what will it be?" She asked. "Separate beds or the same one? It's up to you."

"Well," Elijah swallowed. "I think it might be best, at least for tonight, if I take the spare bedroom and you sleep in our room. Is that all right? Understand that I'm not mad at you or anything. This is really my problem, not yours, but-"

"I get it," Selina interrupted. "You want to be alone tonight. I understand." She kissed him on the cheek. "Sleep well."

Elijah nodded. "You too."

Selina wished him goodnight one more time, but instead of going to bed herself, she stayed up to read. Her book was so good that she couldn't put it down. Finally, she forced herself to take a break and stick a bookmark at her stopping point. She looked up at the clock, startled to realize that it was just after midnight.

"I better get to bed," she whispered to herself. "I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow." She began walking toward her room, but stopped next to the half-open door of the spare bedroom where Elijah was. She looked in on him and tried not to laugh too hard. He'd been so tired, he hadn't even bothered to tuck himself in even though the covers had been pulled aside. It was as if he'd thought about tucking himself in, but then decided that it was just too much work and dropped off on top of his blankets. He was clad only in his favorite navy blue boxers, his hair stuck up at odd angles, and there was drool on his pillow.

"Wow," Selina smiled to herself. "So not turned on right now. But at the same time, it's kind of cute." She snuck into Laura's room and over to her daughter's stuffed animal shelf. On the far right was a medium-sized stuffed lion. Selina carefully slid it out of its spot, along with a much smaller teddy bear and took them both from the room, leaving her daughter's door slightly ajar so that some light could get in.

Her next stop was Elijah's room. He still looked as he had before. Moving him carefully so that he wouldn't wake up, she managed to get him tucked in. She slipped the smiling lion under the crook in his arm, kissed his forehead, and then went to her room, where, clutching the small bear, she was able to get to sleep relatively quickly.

* * *

"Good morning," Selina greeted Elijah the next day as she came into the kitchen and found him standing near the coffee pot. "How did you sleep last night? Okay?"

Elijah turned and locked eyes with her. "Could you tell me why I woke up holding onto a stuffed lion? It wasn't in my bed when I went to sleep."

Selina nodded. "I know it wasn't. I put it there before I went to bed. I hated the idea of you sleeping alone."

"But why a lion?" Elijah asked.

"Well," Selina walked closer to him and took his hand. "You kinda remind me of a lion, you know? You're strong and feared and you like to think you rule over everything, but without a woman in your life, you wouldn't be able to take care of yourself as well."

Elijah rolled his eyes and grinned, putting an arm around her. "So if I'm a lion," he said with a smirk, "Where's the rest of my harem of lionesses? I'd be interested to know." He rubbed his hands and licked his bottom lip.

Selina shook her head and put her hands on his cheeks so that he was looking right at her. "You don't get a harem of lionesses. You're a special kind of lion who is monogamous. I insist on it."

Elijah grinned and kissed her hand. "Oh, okay," he said. "If you insist on it, I suppose I could forgo a harem of lionesses just to make you happy."

" You better," Selina replied with mock severity. She leaned against him. "You seem to be in a much better mood this morning."

"Yes," Elijah said, running his fingers through Selina's hair. "I _do_ feel much better. Well enough to talk about certain things."

Selina looked up in amazement. "Really? Are you sure?"

Elijah nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. Let's talk about it right after breakfast so I don't lose my nerve."

"Okay," Selina said about half an hour later. She and Elijah went into his office together and sat in chairs on either side of his desk. "If we're gonna talk about what happened, where would you like to start?"

"Let's start with the end of it," Elijah replied. "That's the least painful."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Let's. I came up to Alistair's door and I was _not _ happy with you..."

_"What the hell were you thinking?" Selina asked as she pulled Elijah out the door. "What were you trying to prove? Seriously, you are the most horrible person, and-" She paused as she locked eyes with him and saw that he was still smirking. Her angry words had no effect on Elijah, at least not in the state he was in. She took a deep breath to calm herself and looked him in the eye. "You know what?" She began again. "I'm doing this all wrong. I shouldn't be yelling at you. I should be apologizing instead." _

_That got a reaction out of him. "What?" He asked, looking confused. "Why? Why would you feel you need to apologize to me?"_

_"Because you're really fucked up right now, aren't you?" She asked. "I mean, there's no other way to describe it. You're acting like your brother did when things started getting really bad between us, and I have a feeling it's somewhat my fault, so I'm sorry."_

_"How is it your fault?" Elijah asked. "I asked Lenora to make me this way on my own. You had nothing to do with it."_

_"Well, yeah, you did," Selina nodded. "Would you have asked her to make you that way if I hadn't mentioned I wanted you to be a bit more adventurous?"_

_"Well, no," Elijah admitted. "But it's really not a problem, so-"_

_"Yes, it is a problem!" Selina yelled, stomping her foot. "I shouldn't tell you how to be. It's not my place. Next time I say you need to be more exciting, just tell me to buzz off, or whatever the refined version of that is. You should be however you wanna be. Are you happy being like this? You told me before that the only reason why you changed is because that's what you thought I wanted."_

_"Well, yes," Elijah nodded. "But you don't want it anymore, do you? I guess it's lucky that Alistair's gone to find Lenora, isn't it? So I can be back to normal, like you want."_

_"Please don't focus on what I want anymore," Selina begged him. "The whole point of my apology is that I want what you want. If you wanna be bad, all the more power to you. If you wanna have get your sense back from Alistair, start dressing in your suits again and spend your days in your office, that's good with me too, as long as it makes you happy."_

_Elijah sighed. "Well, thank you," he said. "Honestly, I can't wait for Alistair to get back. But while we're waiting, you wouldn't mind a sort of 'last hurrah', would you?"_

_"Maybe," Selina said, grinning. "What sort of thing do you have in mind?"_

_"Maybe what I did in the dream?" He said. "Just a little bit, though. Nothing as intense as what you and Niklaus used to do, of course."_

_Selina thought a moment. "Well," she said finally, "I _have_ always been intrigued to see how having your blood in my system would affect me."_

_He grabbed her hand and they went inside and up to one of the bedrooms, locking the door behind them. Selina removed her top and looked up at him. "Okay," she said. "Go ahead."_

_"No, no!" Elijah shook his head. "That's not enough. Was that how you and Niklaus used to do it?"_

_"Well, no," she admitted. "But-"_

_"I want to do this exactly the way you and Niklaus used to do it," Elijah said. "I refuse to be cheated out of the full experience."_

_"Fine," Selina sighed and undressed the rest of the way. "The game was nothing remarkable, really," she said quietly. "It was just sex like usual and then he'd get so worked up that he'd bite me and then give me some of his blood to compensate for the bite. And sometimes, I'd bite him. That's all."_

_"All right," Elijah said. "Seems simple enough." He undressed, then put her over his shoulder, carrying her to the bed, laying her down, then climbing beside her so that he was looking down into her eyes._

_"I've never told you this before," he said. "But occasionally, I dream about what it would have been like to be able to turn you into a vampire. What it would be like to bite into your soft, white throat..." He stroked down her neck and grinned, kissing her lips and pushing into her as he kissed down her neck. Then, as she shrieked, he bit her. Her blood spurted onto his hand and he slowly licked it off. "You're very sweet," he said. "Did you know that?"_

_"I've been told," Selina agreed. "I'm glad you like me." They fooled around for a little while longer, and then the door to the bedroom opened. "Here you are!" Alistair said. Then he noticed the positions Elijah and Selina were in. "Sorry," he said. "We'll come back later." He turned back to the door and shouted into the hallway. "Don't come in, Lenora. It'll take a little longer until Elijah is ready to have his sense back."_

_"Why?" Lenora asked, ignoring her grandfather's command. "What is he doing in there?" She poked her head in and her eyes widened. "Oh," she said. "I think I'll go." She left and Alistair shut the door behind him._

_"Did that kill the mood?" Selina asked Elijah._

_He nodded. "Yes, it did. But we got to have some fun beforehand. That's the important thing."_

_They got out of bed and dressed, then Selina told Alistair he and Lenora could come in. Alistair came in first and then Lenora followed, holding a box. She put it down on the bed and looked at Elijah. "Open your mouth," she ordered. He opened his mouth and she opened the box. The smoky substance that was Elijah's sense flew out of the box and into Elijah's mouth, the force of it pushing him back into the wall._

_"I'm sorry!" Lenora said when it was all over. She went to crouch next to Elijah. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"_

_"I think I'll be okay," Elijah replied as he struggled to sit up. He then looked at Selina, his eyes wide. "Darling, why is your neck covered in blood?"_

_Selina quickly wiped it off. "You were loopy without your sense, so you asked if we could play the biting game and we did."_

_"My god," Elijah said, coming toward her, shaking. "Did I hurt you? Please tell me I didn't hurt you."_

_"Well, no," Selina answered. "I'm fine, I promise. Are you okay?"_

_"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I'm all right now." He stood up and led her into the bathroom to clean the blood off her hands and neck. When she was clean, they came out again. "We're going to go home now," Elijah said. He looked at Lenora. "Thank you, dear," he told her. "I don't think I'll be asking you to do any spells for me any time soon."_

"And we went home and you were quiet after that," Selina pointed out. "Why? Were you embarrassed?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Not embarrassed. Just kind of...ashamed of something of the things I did. And that it just became way too much and I had to turn back."

"Why would you be ashamed to have to turn back?" Selina asked him. "Personally, I think we were more than ready."

Elijah sighed and gave her a sad smile. "I don't know if you really understand why I had Lenora do that spell for me," he said. "I did it because I wanted you to look at me the way you always looked at Niklaus. I wanted you to be as attracted to me sexually as you are to him. I wanted you to see me as bad and dangerous, rather than just the man who wears the suits and makes your life miserable."

"You don't make my life miserable!" Selina assured him. "You're reliable and dependable and I would be a mess without that."

"Wonderful," Elijah sighed. "I get to be Lassie."

"Now just listen to me," Selina said. "You _are_ all the stuff I said before most of the time and that's really not a bad thing. But just a hint, when you wear those jeans and nothing else, it makes me unable to speak because you look so hot! You better not get rid of those!"

"Is that so?" Elijah asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah!" Selina said enthusiastically. "You have such a hot body. Why don't you show it off more often?"

"Because there are times to show it off and times not to," Elijah replied. "And really, could you honestly tell me that you'd have the same reaction to my body if you saw it all the time?"

"_Yes_!" Selina nodded insistently. "I want you coming down to breakfast in boxer shorts every single day!'

Elijah grinned. "Every day might be a bit much, but I suppose I could start with one or two times a week."

Selina nodded. "All right, that's fair. I also want to say that it's not just your body I like you for. I won't bring up you being sensible and dependable again, but I do have to say that this relationship with you is the first time I've ever felt safe and supported and loved. It's the honest truth." She paused. "Sorry to get emotional on you, but it just needed to be said."

"I understand," Elijah nodded. "It doesn't bother me."

"Now let's talk other stuff," Selina continued. "We know you're keeping the jeans. Can we keep doing chair sex? Please, please, please?"

"I have to admit that _was_ one of the most enjoyable times we've ever had," Elijah agreed. "But remember that it _is_ my chair, and sitting in it is very special to me, so the only times you will be allowed in the chair for chair sex are holidays, our birthdays, and any other time the mood strikes me."

"All right," Selina nodded. "That seems fair. As you said, it _is_ your chair. And will you be stealing any police cars?"

"I might be moved, again only on special occasions, to do something like that again," Elijah nodded. "But there will be no killing the police officer this time. When I'm in my right mind, I just can't condone it."

"I thought you were gonna say that," Selina nodded. "I'm glad you're back," she hugged him. "I really, really missed you."

"Now about what happened with you and my brother..." Elijah narrowed his eyes.

"Is that the tea kettle?" Selina asked, standing up quickly. "I should probably go check on that."

* * *

As Vince came back to the bar with a tray of glassware, Roxie came out of the kitchen and purposefully knocked her elbow into him. Vince managed to mostly keep his balance, but two glasses fell to the floor and smashed.

Vince put the tray down on the bar and frowned at Roxie. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"It was just an accident," Roxie told him. "You think I did that _on purpose?"_

"Oh, I _know_ you did that on purpose!" Vince yelled. "Grow up, would you?" He turned his back and Roxie stuck her tongue out at him.

"You know, I think you should start being nice to me," she said. "I love you, but if you keep treating me this way, who knows what could happen?"

But Vince just scoffed. "What is this attitude you've been having lately? I don't like it one bit, do you understand me?"

Roxie sighed and strode toward the bar. "Okay," she said. "You asked for it!" She reached the bar just as an attractive werewolf strode in the door. He wore a leather jacket and blue jeans with a rip in one knee, his curly hair was brown, and his eyes were green and friendly.

"Hey there," he said when he reached the bar and grinned at Roxie, showing a mouthful of white teeth. "What's a pretty lady like you doing in a place like this?"

Roxie watched as Vince's head turned.

"Nothing special," Roxie said. "Just making sure that handsome men like you don't go thirsty. What can I get you?"

He ordered a beer and Roxie poured it in a glass for him. Just as she was about to push it in his direction, Vince put a hand on her wrist. "Don't you dare," he said.

"Excuse me?" Roxie's eyebrow went up. "Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?"

"He's already paid," Roxie said. "I have to give it to him."

"No," Vince shook his head. "You are not giving him anything, 'it' or otherwise."

The man stood up. "I think I'd like the pretty lady to give me my beer, sport."

"Well, that's not gonna happen," Vince told him firmly. "She doesn't give stuff like that out to just anyone."

"We're not talking about beer anymore, are we?" Roxie asked.

"Go to the kitchen!" Vince ordered her. But before she had time to move, the man slugged Vince in the jaw and he collapsed behind the bar. He got up quickly, though, and was able to push the man back into one of the tables. The fight went on for a little bit before it finally caught Enid's attention and she emerged from her apartment and came down to the main bar.

"Hey!" She yelled, grabbing Vince and the man by their collars. "I won't have any fighting here, do you understand me?" She shook the man. "You, take a seat and don't cause any more trouble. And you," she eyed Vince. "You take your break now, all right?"

"Okay," Vince rubbed his head and he and Roxie went back to the break room, shutting the door behind them.

"Are you okay?" Roxie asked him, her eyes big. "I just wanted a little attention from you. I didn't want you to be hurt!"

"You want attention from me?" Vince asked. "Well, that's new!"

"It's just that ever since the twins came along, we've spent next to no time alone. And that was _two_ years ago! This is exactly why I was hesitant to have kids. Because I knew that once we did, our couple connection would be, like, zero. And I don't like that, Vince. I miss you. I miss you touching me and kissing me and all that stuff."

"So you want us to connect again?" Vince asked. "is that what you want?"

"Yes," Roxie nodded. "I do."

"Well, then, come here!" He picked her up and kissed her deep before depositing her on the sofa. She then wiggled out of her panties and he unzipped his pants and the two of them made love for the first tim in two years, which went uninterrupted until Enid opened the break room door.

"Hi," Roxie said, blushing a little at Enid's staring.

"I would say 'I'm sorry, I had no idea anyone was in here, but the two of you are loud!" Enid told them. "I had to turn the music up to block you out!"

"Sorry," Vince said, getting up off of Roxie. "We'll use our break time in a more constructive manner. Even if this _was_ the first time since we had the twins."

"We?" Roxie asked. "Remind me again what you did to have them, Vince?"

Enid grinned. "You can use your break time however you want. Just be mindful of the time on the clock."

Vince nodded. "All right, thank you, Enid." She left and Roxie stood up. "Let me guess: the mood is broken."

Vince shook his head. "Not for me. Is it for you? Cause from the looks of the clock, we still have ten minutes."

"Oh, well in that case," Roxie said, "let's start again, shall we?"

Vince grinned. "Yes, ma'am," he said.

* * *

It took a day or two, but Damon finally found it in himself to go home to Lucy again. He reached their house and let himself in, dumping his coat on a chair, then wandering about the house to look for Lucy. As he walked by a closed door, he heard giggling and splashing. The giggling sounded like Lucy, which was weird because she _never_ took baths by herself. He opened the bathroom door and heard a shriek.

"Oh, my god!" Lucy cried, trying to cover herself up with bubbles. "Damon, haven't you heard of knocking?"

"Oh, my god!" Damon repeated when he realized that Lucy's bathing companion was himself. Well, his human self anyway. "What the fuck, Lucy?"

"What?" Lucy asked, her eyes big. "A person suddenly isn't allowed to take a bath?"

"You're allowed to take a bath," Damon answered. "Just not with him. And he has to go home now, anyway. Don't want to screw up the space-time continuum, do we?"

Human Damon kissed Lucy's hand and after asking his vampire self to hand him a towel, gracefully stepped out of the tub.

"What a view from the back," Lucy said.

"I don't see what's so great about it," Damon said. "Just in case you don't remember, I have the same thing." He shook his bottom at her. "See?"

But Lucy ignored him and looked at his human self. "Do you _really _have to go?"

"After I get dressed, yes, I'm afraid so, sweet Lucy," human Damon said. "No sense in two of us being here at the same time."

Lucy scoffed. "Fine," she said. "But I'm really gonna miss you!"

"Hello!" vampire Damon said."I'm the same guy and I'm standing right here!"

"Yeah, sure," Lucy told him. "Whatever."

Damon rolled his eyes and after his human self was dressed, happily drove him over to Lenora's, more than happy to see the back of him.

"So what happened?" Lucy asked when he came in the door. She was dressed in jeans and a red sweater.

"I dropped him off, Lenora took him away, everything ended neatly," Damon told her.

"I don't mean that," Lucy shook her head. "How did you go from being the sort of guy who actually cared about my feelings to the sort of guy who just uses me as some sort of emotional prop to be certain he's a good person. I'm anxious to hear." She put her hands on her hips and waited.

"Well," Damon said finally, "Around 1912, I met a woman. Her name was Sage, and although I was still very much in love with the woman who turned me at that point, Sage helped me to really appreciate what I was. How to draw in women. How to romance them. How to really make love to them without really caring any about feelings. And those teachings just stuck with me, I guess."

Lucy frowned. "So you're telling me that some bitch of a vampire turned you from a nice guy to a jerk and that's who you've been ever since?" She growled.

"Lucy, what's the matter?" Damon asked. He'd never seen her look so angry before.

"Nothing's the matter," Lucy said. "I'm simply gonna find this Sage and rip off her head, god help me. And don't think I won't. I'm absolutely serious." She grabbed her coat from the closet, and then Damon put a hand on her arm. "Don't go after Sage," he said. "It's one of the stupidest things you could do. She's been a vampire for about as long as your dad and his siblings have been around. She's a lot stronger than you. She could kill you."

"Then I'll just have to get stronger, won't I?" Lucy told him. "And I don't care how many people I have to kill to do it."_  
_


	38. Going Too Far

"Oh, my god," Damon said. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yes," Lucy nodded, pushing her blonde hair out of her eyes. "I've never been more serious about anything in my whole life!"

"Well, I'm sorry," Damon told her. "But I'm not gonna let you kill anyone."

"Why not?" Lucy asked. "You have! You're being awfully hypocritical."

"I think you should lie down," Damon replied, trying to keep her calm. "You're upset now, and I don't want you to do something in anger that I _know_ you're just gonna regret later."

Lucy shook her head. "I won't regret anything! I'm doing what's right for me. And you won't be able to talk me out of it, so why don't you just let me go and do what I need to do?"

"That's just it," Damon said. "You don't need to do it! Now, you go to your room and calm down or I'll tell your mother about this!"

"Oh, I'm _so_ frightened!" Lucy said, sticking out her tongue. "What's my mother gonna do about it?"

"I bet she'll be able to think of something," Damon assured Lucy. "She doesn't want you to be this way. I'm sure neither of your parents do and I don't either!"

"I don't see why not," Lucy said. "If I killed someone, I wouldn't be able to judge you about all the bad stuff you've done, right? I should think you'd encourage me for that reason alone."

Damon looked at her self-righteous expression and sighed. "Fine," he said. "I see you're not gonna give up on this, are you?"

Tight-lipped, Lucy shook her head.

Damon nodded. "Well, all right," he said. "Go and kill someone. Or several someones. Just get this out of your system, okay?"

"And you promise you won't tell my mother?" Lucy asked, her gaze suspicious.

"Yes," Damon said after a moment. "I won't tell you're mother."

But his fingers were crossed behind his back. Lucy didn't see.

* * *

Selina and Elijah were sitting in the dining room talking when all of a sudden, they heard a loud, rapid knocking on the front door that just didn't stop.

Selina stood up. "I'll go see who that is," she said. "They clearly aren't going away any time soon."

Elijah nodded. "All right. Go on, then."

Selina opened the door and Damon stood on the other side, hands on his hips. "Why did it take you so long to answer the door? Did you think I was a salesman or something?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "We were just chatting and thought that whoever was at the door could wait instead of pounding until his knuckles bled. But clearly something is going on. What is it?"

"Your daughter has gone off the deep end and I have no idea what to do about it," Damon told her.

"Which daughter?" Selina asked. "Roxie went off the deep end a long time ago. Don't tell me you came all the way here because you were worried about _her_."

"Not that daughter," Damon sighed. "The other one. Lucy's talking about wanting to kill people. Do you and Elijah want to take care of this, or do you and Klaus? Or do you want me to? Something needs to be done soon though."

* * *

"Yes?" Klaus asked after he opened the front door. When he saw Elijah and Selina, he grinned. "Well, this is a treat! Come in! What brings the two of you down my way?"

"We need your help," Elijah told him. "It's urgent."

Klaus sat down and poured himself a drink. "No sense in talking about things like that until you're comfortable. Have a seat, you two. Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you," Selina shook her head. "And although I appreciate the pleasantries, there's not a lot of time. Klaus, it's Lucy. She's in trouble."

Klaus hand paused on the bottle of bourbon and it kept pouring until it overflowed out of the cup onto the table.

"Niklaus, you spilled," Elijah said. "You might want to mop that up."

Klaus frowned and and went to grab a cloth. As he wiped up the spilled bourbon, he said, "So what exactly is wrong with Lucy? Is she hurt? Is she married? What's the problem?"

"She's neither hurt nor married," Selina said. "But she's gonna cause hurt. A lot of it. Klaus, I think she's turned evil! She's gonna kill someone!"

"Will she?!" Klaus asked, light in his eyes. "I should call and congratulate her when she does. That's an active werewolf gene for everyone in our family, isn't it, Selina?"

"Well, yes," Selina sighed. "But honestly, it's nothing to be proud of!"

"Oh, stop!" Klaus said. "You're starting to sound just like your mother."

Selina stood up. "Well, maybe she was right all these years. Not about everything, but the destruction an active gene can cause at the very least."

"You see what you've done, Elijah?" Klaus said to his brother. "You've ruined her. She's no fun anymore."

"Never mind!" Elijah said sharply. "Are you going to help us talk some sense into Lucy, or not?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Elijah," Klaus said. "You and Selina just toddle off and try and stop the inevitable, but I won't."

"But-" Selina began.

"Don't try to change his mind," Elijah interrupted. "It's impossible when he gets like this. Let's just go."

"What do you mean?!" Selina asked, looking outraged. "Are you telling me we're just gonna give up? That's it?"

"It's not it," Elijah said when they were out the door. "Lucy's clearly not in her right mind. It will be easier to talk sense into her once she's done what she set out to do and had time to calm down. It worked with you, I have no doubt that I'll have the same sort of success with Lucy."

"I don't know if I like that," Selina told him. "Why can't we just tell her she's not allowed to kill anyone and save her from herself?"

"Because she's your daughter," Elijah reminded her. "If anyone tried to do that with you, would you have listened?"

"Well, no," Selina admitted. "I wouldn't have."

"I know it will be hard for you to just let this happen," Elijah said. "It will be hard for me too. But it's what needs to be done at this point. Lucy won't go overboard. I won't let her end up like Roxanne. I promise."

Selina nodded. "All right. I trust you. Can we just go home now? I need to have a cup of tea and lie down for a while."

Elijah nodded and led her to the car. "I'll drive," he said. "You just try and relax."

* * *

Lucy stood at the side of the house, her back against the wall, watching as her mother and uncle pulled out of her father's driveway. Once they were gone, she ran up Klaus' front steps and rang the doorbell.

Klaus opened the door and looked at Lucy. "Well, hello, there."

"Hi, Daddy," Lucy said. "I bet you're surprised to see me."

"Well, no, not considering what your mother and your uncle just told me. Is it true?"

Lucy sighed. "If I say 'yes,' how mad will you be?" She asked.

"You think I'm going to be mad at you for finally deciding to embrace all of who you are?" Klaus asked. "Why would you think that?"

Lucy shrugged. "Well, Mom and Uncle Elijah weren't too happy, were they?"

"Well, admittedly, no," Klaus answered. "But I don't see why that should matter. Do you? You are not doing anything wrong. Nothing that your mother's never done, and even your uncle's had his dark moments, although you'd never get him to admit it."

"And It's not like I plan to be like this forever," Lucy said. "I just have a score to settle and once I do that, things will be back to normal."

"A score?" Klaus asked, looking interested. "Who could you possibly have a score to settle with? I didn't even realize you'd made enemies!"

"Well, that's the thing," Lucy said. "At the present time, she has no idea she _is_ my enemy. I don't know where she is or if she's even alive. I should probably think about that before I go and do something rash, shouldn't I? I don't want to kill someone, activate my werewolf gene, and then find out the vampire I'm after is dead. That wouldn't be any good."

"Just who are you after?" Klaus asked. "I've been around awhile. I might know."

"Well, I believe Damon said her name is Sage and she's been around almost as long as you. Do you know her?" Lucy asked.

Klaus ran his fingers through his hair. "Unfortunately, I _do_ know her. She caught my brother Aleksandr's eye just before we turned, and afterward, he turned her because he believed they were in love. He wanted to be with her forever."

Lucy frowned. "Wait, wasn't Uncle Aleksandr married to Mom for awhile? What happened to them?"

"Are you letting yourself feel sympathy for your enemy?" Klaus asked.

"Well, no," Lucy shook her head. "I'm just a little confused. But it's not important. The fact is that Uncle Aleksandr went one way, Sage went another, she found Damon and she ruined him. And _that _is why she's gonna have me to answer to. Only problem is, I don't know where she is."

"And what exactly are you planning to do to her once you _do_ find her?" Klaus asked. "Just because I'm curious."

"I'm gonna kill her!" Lucy said with feeling. "What else would I do? First I have to kill someone else, though. I want to activate my gene so I can be a werewolf, bite Sage, and then she'll die a slow, painful death. That's my plan."

"So you just want to kill Sage?" Klaus clarified. "You're not planning on a life of crime?"

Lucy shook her head. "Sorry to disappoint you, but no."

Klaus sighed. "Well, I suppose something is better than nothing." He stood up. "Well, we might as well get started. Get your coat on and we'll go find you someone to kill."

"It's that simple?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "It's that simple."

"And after I kill someone, then what happens?" Lucy asked. "Am I gonna turn immediately, or-"

"You'll have to wait until the next full moon, unfortunately," Klaus said. "You were not _made_ into a hybrid. You were born a vampire and your gene will be activated. You will turn at every full moon just like a regular werewolf does."

"Do _you_ turn every full moon?" Lucy asked. She was beginning to have second thoughts.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Your mother and I and Roxanne's husband Vince, we can turn at will because that's just how it works. I'm not allowed to do that to anyone else anymore."

"Oh," Lucy nodded. "I see."

"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" Klaus asked.

"About killing Sage? No," Lucy shook her head. "That will definitely happen. I'm just trying to figure out if I want to turn every full moon for the rest of my life just to satisfy a few seconds of rage."

"Neither of your siblings seem to mind it," Klaus said.

"Well, isn't that because you manipulated the two of them into turning when they were really young?" Lucy asked.

"Well, sort of," Klaus conceded. "Your mother made Adrian hold off on his transformation until he was a teenager and could fully understand what transforming meant, but Roxanne...we never took any precautionary measures with Roxanne. She was ready to go all the way and we thought that the best thing to do would be to just let it happen."

"Roxie..." Lucy's voice trailed off. "I just got an idea!" She stood up, grabbed her coat and ran for the door.

"Wait a minute!" Klaus called after her. "Lucy, what are you thinking?!"

"Nothing you need to worry about!" Lucy called back. "I promise."

* * *

"Excuse me?" Roxie asked an hour or so later. "You want me to do _what_ for you?"

"I'd like you to kill someone for me," Lucy said. "Do you think you can do that?"

"Why do you want _me_ to do it?" Roxie asked. "Why can't you do it yourself? You'll get much more satisfaction if you do the killing yourself."

"But then that will activate my werewolf gene!" Lucy said. "And I don't know if I want that."

"Okay," Roxie said. "Let's think about this: Who is it that you want to kill and why do you want to kill them?"

"Her name is Sage," Lucy said. "Uncle Aleksandr turned her. She's almost as old as Dad. I don't even know if she's still alive. She _ruined _Damon. She made him evil. That's why I want to kill her. He used to be such a caring person and now he's not and it's all her fault!"

Roxie shut her eyes. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I don't think killing this woman is the answer. I think you and Damon should talk to each other instead. If you tried to kill her, you'd just be in _way_ over your head. You're not a killer. You're a good person and you should keep it that way."

"So you aren't gonna help me?" Lucy asked, feeling let down. "'Talk to Damon' is all you got for me?"

"Yeah," Roxie nodded as both Addie and Joey tried to climb up her legs. She picked them up and put them on her lap. They both snuggled against her middle. "I guess these two are making me soft."

Lucy sighed. "Well, all right," she said. "I guess I won't keep you if you can't do anything to help me. I guess I'll have to do it all myself."

"I think you're making a mistake," Roxie said. "But I won't try and stop you."

Lucy waved goodbye to her sister and left her house.

"What was that about?" Vince asked once Lucy was gone. "Is everything okay?"

"I think my sister is gonna activate her werewolf gene," Roxie said. "Vince, can you picture Lucy at Enid's?"

"No," Vince shook his head. "But she's gonna do what she's gonna do, right? And we'll help her adjust."

"Yeah," Roxie said. "I guess we'll have to, won't we?"

* * *

That night, Lucy left town and spent some time at a jazz club a few hours away. By the time the club closed, it was a little after two in the morning, and as Lucy walked to her car, suddenly she felt someone grab her from behind and try and carry her off to a nearby alley. She flailed her arms and legs a bit, then her foot connected with the man's crotch, her elbow with his gut. Momentarily stunned, he let her go and she fell hard on the pavement. She thought he was gonna come after her again, but once she got a good look at his face, he took off running. Lucy got up from the ground, and ignoring the pain in her knees and elbows, she sped off after him. She knocked him to the ground and rammed her knee into his middle.  
"Stop..." he wheezed. "I can't breathe."

They were under a streetlamp. Light illuminated the man's yellowing teeth and greasy, thinning dark hair. Lucy hissed and put a hand around the man's throat. "Do you think I care about whether you can breath or not?" She whispered. "I'm going to kill you. The world would be a much better place without sons of bitches like you in it."

The man whimpered some more and even started to cry, but Lucy bit him anyway. He tasted gross, but she steeled herself to keep drinking. Finally, when she came up for air, her face covered in the man's blood, he was dead, his neck flopping bonelessly.

"Oops," Lucy whispered. "I guess I got carried away. But honestly, I did a good thing. Who would miss a loser like that anyway? And it will stop him from doing to other women and girls what he almost did to me, won't it?" She found a scarf in his coat pocket and wiped her mouth off with it and then, leaving the body there under the street lamp, ran to her car.

"Okay," Lucy said to herself. "That's the only one. I'm not gonna kill any more. I promise."

* * *

But it wasn't as easy as all of that. After her first kill, she began killing more and more. She'd lie awake at night thinking about blood. The taste of it, the feeling of power as she hunted down and overpowered a victim. She liked it all. But what she wasn't aware of was that someone was watching her every move, keeping track of every kill. And they weren't as pleased about it all as she was.

"It's my father," Elijah said to Selina one day. "He said we've got an emergency a few hours away. Someone just keeps killing down there. He's sure it's a vampire. Every body that's been reported was drained of blood."

"Oh, god," Selina said. "What if it's Lucy? She said she was gonna kill someone to get her werewolf gene activated, but it's never that simple. You can never kill just one person. _No one_ is that restrained, especially if they're as sheltered as Lucy's been. Elijah, you have to _promise _ me that if the vampire your father is after turns out to be Lucy, you won't let him kill her. Please. She's just a girl, she has no idea of the consequences of what she's doing!"

Elijah put a hand under Selina's chin so that she was looking into his eyes. "You have my word that Lucy will be let go," he said. "I won't let Father kill her. I can't say I can stop her from being hurt, but I will not allow her to be killed."

"Thank you," Selina said. "And good luck."

Elijah nodded and left. Selina grabbed Colin and went to sit on the sofa in front of the television, where Lucy's kills were still being talked about. She cuddled her youngest son, her eyes closed, hoping with all her heart that the killer was not Lucy and that Mikael was chasing after someone else.

"We'll have to be careful with this one, son," Mikael told Elijah. "They're very determined, whoever they are."

"Father," Elijah said as he jogged to keep up with Mikael's pace. "Is it possible at all that I can take care of this myself? I don't think this person needs to be dealt with as harshly as you usually deal with people. Perhaps she's not aware of the magnitude of what she's done, and once someone explains it to her, the killings wil stop."

Mikael turned around. "'She'? 'Her'? Elijah, do you know who's doing all this killing? If you do, tell me. It will make this job a lot easier. And of _course_ I won't let you handle the perpetrator on your own. You'll go soft on them, especially if they're a woman. You did it with Lonely Heart and we can't afford another repeat."

"Yes, Father," Elijah said, not meeting Mikael's eyes. They arrived at a storage unit that had a trail of blood leading to the door of one of the units. Mikael forced the door loose and then pulled it up, letting light in. They heard a hiss and then ran to the back of the room, where a young woman with blonde hair that was greasy and covered with dirt and other things, was gnawing on a barely alive body. Elijah reached out to touch her and she hissed again, her eyes meeting his, blood covering her mouth. He only saw her a few seconds, but there was no doubt who she was. "My god, Lucy," Elijah whispered "What in the world has happened to you?" When Mikael tried to pick her up, Elijah shook his head. "No, Father, don't." He stood up and held out his hand. "Come with us," he said. "You don't have to live like this anymore. We're going to take you somewhere safe." Lucy looked at him uncertainly, then let the man go and took Elijah's hand. He pulled her up and led her out of the storage unit and to his car. When he got her inside, she burst into tears. As they drove away, Mikael said to Elijah, "It should be easy to kill this one. She seems to have lost the will to live anyway. Would you like to do the honors, or should I?"


	39. Hard To Adapt

Elijah looked at his father in disgust. "You can't kill her, Father. And I won't either."

"Yes, you will," Mikael answered, his eyes narrowing. "You will do as I say. There's no reason not to."

"Yes, there is!" Elijah said. He put his arms around Lucy. "You can't kill her. She's just a girl! And she's my niece besides."

Mikael froze. "Your _niece_? How, pray tell, did that happen?"

"She's Niklaus' daughter," Elijah answered. "With Selina."

A grin spread over Mikael's face. "All the more reason to end her life," he said. "She's the daughter of my bastard son and the murderess I've been waiting many years to kill." He looked at Lucy. "Not exactly the same thing, but killing her would be a start."

"Selina won't let you," Elijah said. "She'll fight for her children."

Mikael shrugged. "All right, I'll make you a deal: if you talk to that wife of yours and she agrees to give herself up to me, I will spare the life of this girl."

His mouth twisted, Elijah reluctantly drove to his and Selina's house, and the three of them went inside just as Selina put Colin down for a nap. She came into the living room and saw them. "What's going on?" She asked. She glared at Mikael, then looked at Elijah. "What's_ he _doing here?"

"We found Lucy," Elijah said, trying to stay calm.

"And you have a choice," Mikael added. "She's killed several people. You know this means I have to end her life. But I suppose that if you're willing to give yourself up to me, dear, I _might_ be willing to spare her. What do you say?"

Selina's lip curled with disgust. She did her best to stop her body from shaking. She didn't want to show Mikael how mad she was.

"Well?" He thundered. "Answer me!"

"I won't!" She said with feeling. "I'm not gonna give myself up!"

"Why not?" Mikael asked. "Isn't it your duty as her mother to protect her? Isn't her life more important than yours? Or are you just being selfish?"

"I'm not being selfish," Selina shook her head. "Because everyone has a right to fight for their lives. Everyone, including me. Now, just because I don't want to give up myself to you to save Lucy doesn't mean I don't love her. I do. But in case you haven't noticed, she's not a baby anymore. She's strong, she's intelligent, and she's perfectly capable of fighting for herself. She doesn't need me to do it for her." She looked at Lucy. "Do you?"

"I don't know," Lucy said. She sniffled.

"Yes, you do!" Selina said. "Honey, you just killed I don't know how many people, all right? It must have been a lot if Officer Krupke here is on your tail."

"Yeah," Lucy said softly. "It was quite a few. And I'm not proud of it."

"So?" Selina asked. "No one said you had to be proud of it. But you want to live, don't you? Or am I mistaken about that? Cause if I am, you can just tell him to kill you right now!"

"No," Lucy said, her voice shaky. "I don't wanna die. I want to live."

"Look me in the eye and tell me that," Selina said. "I don't know if I believe you."

Lucy looked up at her mother, wiped her eyes, wiped her nose, and said, still quietly, "I don't want to die."

Selina sighed, looking at Mikael. "Oh, well," she said. "I guess you can take her. She doesn't seem to want to live after all." As Mikael made a move to take Lucy's arm, Lucy yanked her arm away, charged at her mother and with a growl, shoved her to the floor. "How _dare_ you?" She said to Selina. "How _dare_ you just give me up like that? I don't want to die! I want to live! And if you think that you can just send me off with him, than fuck you! Deciding whether I live or die is not your place, nor is it his. It's all up to me."

A grin spread over Selina's face. "Exactly," she nodded. "That's what I wanted to see. I wanted to see you fight for yourself. I knew you had it in you." She glared at Mikael. "As you can see, there's no one here for you and there never will be, so I think you should go. That would be best."

Mikael opened his mouth and shut it a few times, and then looked at Elijah. "Son..." he began, but his voice trailed off.

"I think they're right, Father," Elijah said. "You need to go. You need to go and never come back." He looked at Lucy. "Do you want to stay here, or would you like me to take you back to Damon's?"

"I think I want to go home," Lucy said. "I've been through enough and I just...I want to go home."

Elijah nodded. "All right, let's go." He glared at his father. "And when I come back, I _don't _want you to be here." He paused. "In fact, why don't you come with us, and I'll drop you wherever you want?"

Mikael looked between Selina and Lucy, his eyes narrowing. "All right," he said. "I'll let this go...for now. But it's not over." And, straightening his spine, he left with Elijah and Lucy and Selina stood alone in the living room, feeling lucky that she and Lucy were still alive.

* * *

Damon heard a knock at the front door and opened it, stepping back immediately, shocked to see Lucy, who was usually so together, panting and throwing herself into his arms.

"What's the matter?" He asked her, running his fingers through her hair. "Cookie Monster, what happened?"

"I've done something I'm not proud of," Lucy told him. "You could say I'm a bad person and you wouldn't be off the mark."

"Oh, I'm sure you aren't," he assured her. "What could you possibly have done?"

Lucy looked at him, her blue eyes serious. "Have you been watching the news?" She asked. "About all the deaths lately?"

"Well, yeah," Damon nodded. "It's probably nothing, though. Just a vampire with a screw loose. Someone will take care of them. Don't worry about it."

Lucy shook her head. "That wasn't just _some _vampire!" She said. "It was_ me_! I did it!_ I _killed every single person! Uncle Elijah's father caught me and he was gonna kill me!"

"Wait..." Damon said, looking at her in shock. "You mean it was _you_ who...oh, my god."

"I know," Lucy nodded. "Horrible, right? Makes me feel really bad for judging you before. I had no right, did I?"

Damon hugged her to him. "That doesn't matter," he said. "What matters is that you're okay."

She nodded. "Uncle Elijah's father told Mom that if she handed herself over to him, he'd let me go."

Damon froze and held Lucy at arms' length. "So your mother is dead now? Please tell me that's not true!"

"No!" Lucy shook her head. "Everyone is okay. But it was still one of the scariest things I've ever experienced."

"I don't doubt it was," Damon said. "I couldn't imagine going through something like that. But at least you're okay now. That's what's important."

"I'm not okay, exactly," Lucy said. "The first guy I killed, that activated my werewolf gene. Not that the guy didn't deserve it of course, but still. And that means we have to have a plan for when I turn. Cause I can't be around you then. I could hurt you and I don't want that. It would just hurt me so much if I hurt _you._"

"Oh, relax," Damon said. "Your dad's got the cure for a werewolf bite inside him. If you ever bite me, all we gotta do is ask him for some of his blood and I'll be all better! There is _nothing_ to worry about!"

"You seem very sure of yourself," Lucy said. "I wish I could be that confident. But realistically, how much blood would Dad be willing to give you before you get bitten one too many times and he decides you're not worth his blood anymore? Cause I'm telling you that it _could_ happen. I want to be prepared for that."

"Why do you automatically assume you'll bite me if you turn?" Damon asked. "There are ways to avoid that. Why don't you ask your brother and your sister for help before you just give up all hope and assume everything is gonna be bad?"

"It's easier to assume that things are gonna go bad," Lucy replied. "It saves time and makes you more cautious."

"Even so," Damon said. "Please just try and call your brother and sister. For me?"

Lucy sighed. "Fine," she said. "I'll call them. But I doubt it'll do much good."

"That's the spirit!" Damon said with a grin. Lucy just rolled her eyes and took the phone off the hook, taking it to her and Damon's bedroom. She shut the door behind her, looked down at the phone, took a deep breath and dialed Adrian and Helene's number. It rang a few times before someone picked it up.

"Hello?" Lenora's voice said. "Aunt Lucy, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," Lucy replied. "Sweetie, I need to talk to your daddy. Is he home?"

"No," Lenora said immediately. "Mommy said he went on a vacation. We've tried to call him and stuff, but he won't answer the phone."

"Why would your father go somewhere without your mother?" Lucy asked. "That's not like him."

"Mommy said he was nervous about the new baby she's gonna have," Lenora said. "I'm gonna be a big sister!"

"Well, that's wonderful!" Lucy said. "I'm so happy for you and your mommy and daddy. Could you tell your mom that?"

"Yes," Lenora nodded. "What did you need to talk to Daddy about? Can I help?"

Lucy sighed. "That's very sweet, but I don't think you can. I had an accident and that made my werewolf gene be activated. I need help with getting used to it and I thought your daddy could do that for me. I guess I'll have to call Aunt Roxie instead."

"You're lucky you even know about your werewolf gene," Lenora said. "I know I have one, but Mommy won't let Daddy teach me anything about it cause she's scared it will make me do bad things."

"Well, she's not entirely wrong about that," Lucy said. "In order to make my gene active, I had to kill someone. You don't want to kill people, do you?"

"Well, no," Lenora said. "But I don't think Daddy's killed that many people. He's a werewolf and he's still a nice person. I don't know why Mommy won't let me be one too. Or do any vampire stuff. I just have to drink blood from bags and when Damon and I were in the past I had blood from a person and it was a _lot_ yummier. Just don't tell Mommy I said that because she's not supposed to know."

"I'll keep your secret," Lucy said to her. "Don't worry."

"Are you gonna call Aunt Roxie now?" Lenora asked. "Or do you want to talk to my mommy?"

"Is she nearby?" Lucy asked. "I don't need to talk to her if she's not nearby."

"She's in her bedroom," Lenora said. "Or the bathroom. She gets sick a lot now." She paused. "Just a minute." She took the phone away from her ear and walked to the bathroom where Helene had camped out. Even though the door was closed, Lenora could still hear her mother being sick.

"Mommy? Aunt Lucy is on the phone. She wants to talk to you." Lenora knocked on the door. "Can you hear me, Mommy?" There was a moment of silence, a flush, and then the door opened. Helene was pale, her eyes had circles under them and her hair was scraggly and damp. "What did you say?" She asked, pushing her long brown hair out of her eyes. "Whatever it is, can you handle it yourself? Mommy doesn't feel well."

"Okay," Lenora told her. "Sorry, Mommy. Want some juice?"

Helene shrugged. "What's the point? I'll probably just throw it up the second I drink it."

Lenora put the phone to her ear. "Mommy's not feeling good, Aunt Lucy," Lenora said. "She doesn't want to talk to anybody."

"Well, that's okay," Lucy said. "I only wanted to say 'congratulations' on the baby, that's all. I think I'll hang up and call Aunt Roxie now. Bye, sweetie."

"Bye," Lenora said and turned off the phone. Helene locked herself in the bathroom again and Lenora went to hang up the phone. She then went back to the bathroom one last time. "That was Aunt Lucy," she said. "She wanted to tell you 'congratulations' about the baby."

"Well when the baby isn't making me ill, I'll have to call her back and thank her," Helene called back.

"I'll leave you alone now," Lenora said. "Yell if you need anything." She went up to her room where her new black cat sat up curled on her bed.

"I'm so lonely," she said, stroking him. "My daddy is gone, my mommy is sick, and I don't have anyone else to talk to."

Then, something happened that shocked her. The cat spoke. "If you promise you won't tell anyone, you can talk to me. And just a request. Would you keep that dog of yours away from me? He's getting _way _too interested."

Lenora looked at him in surprise. "Oh, my goodness! You're _talking_! I never had an animal that talked before!"

* * *

"Where are you going?" Vince asked Roxie as he watched her grab her coat.

"I'm going to work," Roxie said, pointing to the clock. "It's time, isn't it?"

"Enid called this morning," Vince said. "She said we both got the day off today."

"Why would she do that?" Roxie asked.

"Well, it's because we've been such good sports about keeping what she did to Joey a secret," he said. "She wanted to thank us."

Roxie stepped away from the coat rack. "So we have the day off. What are we going to do?"

Vince shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "I'm not so good at thinking up family bonding stuff. I mean, if it were spring, we could get the kids little bikes and go on a ride, but its too cold for that now."

"Seriously?" Roxie asked. "You want to get the kids bikes?"

"Yeah," Vince nodded. "Why shouldn't we? They have 'em for little kids."

"They're only two!" Roxie pointed out. "They could hurt themselves!"

"It's not like we'd let them out on the road yet," Vince said. "They'd just stay in the yard."

Roxie sighed. "Well, I guess it would be okay if they stayed in the yard and we watched them the whole time."

Vince grinned. "Look at you worrying about our kids! It's so nice."

Roxie tried not to look hurt. "Of course I worry about them!" She said. "I'm their mother!"

Just then, Joey came running into the living room, his brown hair tousled. He let out a yell and headed in the direction of the fireplace. Vince managed to pick him up before he reached it and split his skull open on the brick. "Hey, hey, hey!" He said gently. "You're supposed to be taking a nap."

Joey shook his head, displaying a full set of pearly white teeth. "No nap!"

"Why can't you be more like your sister?" Vince asked. "She_ never _tries to skip naps."

"That's because I told her beauty rest will make her pretty," Roxie said. "She believed me. She wouldn't skip it if you asked her to, but that tactic doesn't work with boys."

"Well, I guess we only have one choice then," Vince said, looking down at his son. "I guess we have no choice but to go outside and let you run around in the snow until you're tired." He looked at Roxie. "It's a shame you can't come with us."

"What? In the cold and the muck and the ice?" Roxie asked. She shuddered. "I'm glad to stay in here, thank you."

Vince picked up Joey. "Well, all right," he said. "But you're missing out." They went outside and Roxie sat on the sofa next to a window and watched them play together in the snow.

While they were outside, the time for the twins' nap ended and Addie wandered into the living room, rubbing her eye and clutching her blanket in one of her tiny fists. When she saw her mother, she dropped her blanket and grinned, running over to climb on the sofa. "Me pretty?" She asked.

"Of course," Roxie said, taking her in her arms. "You're very pretty." They sat and watched the boys for a little while longer and then the phone rang. Roxie left Addie sitting on the sofa and went to answer it. "Hello?"

"Roxie, it's Enid. I know I promised you and Vince a day off today, but something's come up that I need you here for."

"What is it?" Roxie asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Not _wrong_ necessarily," Enid said. "Your sister is here. She says her werewolf gene is activated and needs your help about what to do."

Roxie rolled her eyes. "Why did she go to Enid's?" She asked herself. "Why couldn't she have just come to the house and asked? "All right," Roxie said. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

She hung up the phone and grabbed Addie. "We're gonna to go mommy's work," she said. "Won't that be fun?" She got coats on herself and Addie and after leaving a note for Vince and Joey, drove off to Enid's.

* * *

"Good, you're here," Enid said, meeting her at the door.

"Yeah," Roxie nodded. "Where _is_ Lucy? Is she causing trouble?"

"No," Enid shook her head. "I just don't think she quite knows what to do with herself. She's over at the bar."

Roxie looked in the direction of the bar and saw her little sister on a barstool, twirling a straw in a glass of cherry Coke and looking deflated. "Hey," she said, coming to sit next to her after handing Addie to Enid. "What are you doing? That's not even a drink!"

"Well, what does one drink when they're reevaluating how they're gonna live their entire life?" Lucy asked. "I can't even be around Damon without worrying about whether or not I'll kill him."

"That's only once a month!" Roxie said. "It's hardly anything at all. And when you change, it's only for a few hours."

"Easy for you to say," Lucy said. "Do you have to worry about killing Vince? I don't think so! The two of you are the same freaking species!"

"I think you're looking at this the wrong way," Roxie said. "If you think of it in a more positive light, it won't seem so bad. It looks to me like you're just dwelling on the bad stuff."

"Oh, really?" Lucy asked. "What good stuff is there? Tell me."

"Well, honestly," Roxie said, "if someone told me I could only be one thing and I had to choose between being a vampire and being a werewolf, I'd pick being a werewolf. Because you age properly, so you can set up roots, you can have children and a family without trouble, you can eat whatever you want, you don't have to worry about the effects of sunlight...I could go on and on!"

"How does that help me?" Lucy asked. "Cause I _am_ both and there's no way to fix it!"

"It seems like you just want to be negative about this, even though it won't help anything," Roxie said. "Look around you. Everyone around here is either a werewolf themselves or a person with werewolf potential. And they're all fine! They live their lives to the fullest and they've accepted their lycanthropy as part of them and you can too. It's the only way you're gonna be able to live with yourself. I don't know how else I can help you."

Just then, Klaus walked into the bar. "Well, look at that!" Roxie grinned. "It's Dad. Why don't you go talk to him? Maybe he can succeed where I failed and actually make you feel better about this whole thing."

Lucy sighed, finished her drink and then hesitantly walked over to her father. "Daddy?" She said. "Can we talk?"

Klaus turned and started when he saw her. "Lucy?" he asked. "Love, what are you doing here?"

"I don't know," Lucy sighed. "I came because I thought it would make me feel better about getting my gene activated if I was among actual werewolves, you know? But instead, it just made me feel worse. It hasn't helped at all."

"Well," he said. "Why don't you come home with me and we'll see what we can do."

Lucy nodded. "All right. Let's go."


	40. Only In My Dreams

As Klaus and Lucy stepped into his house and Klaus shut the door behind them, Lucy said, "Thanks for getting me out of there, Daddy. It was getting to be a bit much for me." She sighed. "I know you must think I'm being ridiculous because that place was full of well-adjusted werewolves living their lives, yet they did nothing to help me. It should have been the most helpful place in the world. But it wasn't."

"Well, why don't you sit down and we can talk?" Klaus said. "I think we're long overdue for a chat, especially about things like this."

Lucy took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay," she said. "Do you want to go first or should I?"

"You should start," Klaus said. "How are you feeling right now?"

"Well," Lucy swallowed. "The truth is that I'm terrified of all of this. I don't know what it's gonna feel like, or how my life will change, if it will at all, and I just...I wasn't ready. I have no idea what the hell I've gotten myself into."

"I'm sorry," Klaus said. "But do you know who's responsible for that? Who's responsible for you not knowing?"

Lucy gave him a look. "Are you seriously gonna turn this into a tirade against Mom? Look, I_ know _she took me away from you, but she had good reasons! She didn't want Sam and me to be separated and thought it would be awkward having a kid who wasn't yours in your house. Mom assumed you wouldn't like it. Was she wrong?"

"Well, no," Klaus admitted. "She wasn't. Not about that. But you and Sam _didn't_ grow up together! He grew up with Damon and your mother took you to live with your Uncle Elijah where they insulated you and coddled you so that you grew up knowing _nothing_ about your heritage. Or, as I like to think of it, The Amelia Lockwood Warren Method of child-rearing."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, her eyebrows knitted.

"It's how your mother's mother raised her," Klaus said. It was obvious that he was frustrated. "Your grandmother spent her whole life being in denial of her werewolf heritage and teaching your mother nothing, which was one of the reasons why when your mother and I had your brother and sister, we made sure they _knew_ everything there was to know about being a werewolf so there were no surprises."

"You had both Adrian and Roxie turn when they were five years old!" Lucy pointed out. "Maybe Mom didn't want that for me. You have to admit, it's not the smartest thing to do to a kid."

"Better they turn at five and have the rest of their lives to get used to their abilities than turn later in life like you and be terrified of the prospect," Klaus said. "I stand by what I did. It doesn't seem to have done Adrian or Roxanne any harm and it wouldn't have to you, either, if your mother had given me a chance to show you what you needed to know!" He paused and looked at her. "Don't you wish she'd done that?"

Lucy looked at his hopeful expression and sighed. "It _would_ have been interesting to grow up with my actual family instead of being sent around from person to person with no real single place I called home," she said. "Not that I had a _bad_ childhood or anything, but some consistency, at least, would have been nice. It also would have been nice to say the word 'Daddy' more often. I would have liked it. 'Uncle Elijah' just doesn't have the same ring to it." Suddenly, she sniffled. "And maybe, if I'd grown up with you, I'd be stronger than I am, you know? Rather than just being the girl who sits in the library and reads about stuff. I know I grew up to be smarter than a lot of people, but honestly, what good has that done me? What purpose does that serve?"

"There's nothing wrong with being smart, Lucy Elizabeth," Klaus said quietly."Your brother and sister used their powers for _everything_ when they were in school. I don't think your brother picked up a book unless Helene made him cause he knew he could always compel himself the best grade. He didn't even try. But you did, and that's _good_. You should be proud of that. And you can _learn_ how to cope with the werewolf life. I'm not saying it will be the easiest process, but I'll help you, all right?"

"Okay," Lucy nodded. "Where do we start?"

* * *

"You need to come to bed," Elijah said to Selina. She'd been sitting in front of the television for five straight hours, since after they'd eaten dinner, and it was just after midnight.

"Sorry," Selina said. "I can't. I can't close my eyes. Every time I do, I see...I see your father, all right? And I think he's gonna come for me and end my life or whatever. I know it's stupid, I know it's irrational, but I'm _scared_."

"Not going to sleep won't help anything," Elijah said. "Besides, I'll be right next to you. I'll keep you safe." He held out his hand. "Will you come with me? Please?"

Selina stared at him for a few seconds and then took his hand and let him lead her to the bedroom. He tucked her in and crawled in beside her. She tried to relax, but it was hard. _Suddenly, the room began to quiver around her and shift. "Oh, my god," she whispered. Then the door opened a shadow came toward her. She shut her eyes and then opened them again when she heard the voice. "What's the matter, love? Can't you sleep?"_

_"Oh, my god," Selina said as she felt his lips on her neck. "Nicky, what are you doing in my bed?" She then felt a hand go down her back. "He's here to help me," Elijah's voice said. "With Father wanting your blood, we wanted to make sure you were protected." It was then that Klaus' hand moved downward and began stroking her. "Oh, my god," Selina whispered. "Someone get the lights right now!" The lights flipped on and Selina realized that she was in bed with Klaus and Elijah and that none of the three of them were wearing anything._

_"What the fuck?" Selina whispered under her breath._

_Klaus grinned. "Glad you're up," he said. He looked at his brother. "I told you she still had energy left in her after round one." Elijah nodded and, with a grin, stroked her breasts. "Believe me, I know, brother. There's no need to remind me."_

_Selina grinned. "Okay," she said. "I forget. Whose turn is it now? Who was playing with me before we took the break?"_

_"It's my turn," Klaus said, turning her over to face him. "Come here!"_

_Selina giggled. "Yes, Naughty Nicky!" She kissed him enthusiastically, then let out a shriek as they rolled around on the bed. "This is just like it used to be!" She enthused. "I really missed it!" Then they paused for a moment and Selina lifted up her head and carefully leaned forward to kiss Elijah. "I love you," she said. He grinned and replied, "I know you do. And don't worry. I'm more than happy to wait my turn."_

_She and Klaus rolled around for a while longer and then Selina and Elijah took their turn. By the time they they'd finished, they were all hot, tired and panting. Selina rolled onto the middle of the bed with Klaus and Elijah on either side of her. She took one of their hands in each of hers and grinned. "This is nice," she said. "I feel so safe right now. Thank you, guys. You're the best." Then, she giggled as Klaus hugged her from the front and Elijah hugged her from the back. She shut her eyes and relaxed into the mattress, feeling like she didn't have a worry in the world._

When Selina opened her eyes several hours later and saw only Elijah beside her, she shoved the covers aside and put a robe on. She fed Colin, then brought Gregory and Laura to the kitchen and fed them breakfast, then sent them to their rooms. She then began making a feast for Elijah. Hopefully, it would relax him so that he wouldn't overreact when she told him about the dream she'd had. He insisted on her telling him about stuff like that, but she didn't know why, cause it made him grumpy more often then not. She would have preferred not to tell him at all, but then she figured that he'd find out anyway and accuse her of keeping something from him, and that was a mess she'd rather avoid. When dealing with Elijah, honesty was in fact the best policy, no matter what his reaction was.

He didn't come down until after she'd made the coffee and was in the process of frying the bacon.

"Good morning," he said, putting his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. He only wore his boxers.

"Nice outfit," she said. "Lucky I gave the kids breakfast early this morning, or I think you might have some explaining to do."

Elijah grinned , his hand moving to cup her bottom. "I think they'd be all right," he said. "Considering how skimpily you dress when it's warm out. They never say a thing."

"Well, that's because with the exception of Gregory, they can hardly talk," Selina replied. "Well, I guess Laura _is_ beginning to have a more extensive vocabulary. Want coffee?"

Elijah nodded. "Definitely. But I'll get it. You don't need to bother."

Selina watched Elijah pour a cup and as he sipped it, she decided it would be best for her to just tell him about the dream now, instead of waiting and telling him later.

"I had a dream last night," she said. "It was a good dream. I was in a threesome with you and Klaus."

Immediately, Elijah's eyes widened and he choked on his coffee, spitting a good deal of it out. As he began to cough, Selina hurried over and began whacking him repeatedly on the back.

"All right, all right, I'm better!" He said when he could talk. "Stop hitting me this minute!"

"Sorry," she said. "Are you okay?"

Elijah turned to look at her. "Don't," he said. "Just don't."

"Don't what?" Selina asked. "What am I doing?"

"Whenever you know you're in trouble, you put on this face," he said. "You hunch into yourself and your eyes get big and your lip juts out. If it's an attempt to get me to soften, it won't work."

"Will breakfast work?" She asked. "I made bacon and omelets and toast and I could even get you cereal if you wanted."

Elijah rolled his eyes. "I should have _known_ you were trying to soften me up for something. You _never_ put this much work into breakfast. I mean, you work hard to make it of course, always, but never without the children. What did you do with them, anyway?"

"I fed them all earlier," Selina said quietly. "I thought it would be best if it was just the two of us this morning, in light of what I had to tell you."

Elijah nodded. "And now you told me. Let's eat now, before all the food you made gets cold."

As Selina and Elijah settled uneasily at the table for breakfast, they heard a knock at the front door. As Selina got up to answer it, Elijah said, "Sit and eat. If they need to talk to us, they can come back later."

Selina shook her head. "Let's just get the door now."

She went to open the door and gave the person on the other side a little smile, then cleared her throat and tried to stay serious. "Good morning, Klaus," she said to him. "You're just in time for breakfast. Would you like some?"

Klaus grinned. "Why yes, thank you. I would love some!"

He followed Selina into the dining room and when Elijah saw him, he shot up from his chair. "What's he doing here?" He asked, his voice shaking.

"What's wrong with you?" Klaus asked. "Can't a person come and visit his brother without being questioned about his motives?"

"Oh, don't mind him," Selina said. "He's just a little _sensitive_ because I had a very provocative dream last night and made the mistake of telling him about it."

Klaus' eyebrow went up and he grinned at his brother for a few seconds before putting his arms around Selina's waist. "Provocative, you say? Was _I_ in it? How was I?"

"You were good," Selina said. "In fact, _both_ of you were good. I didn't wake up unhappy."

Klaus burst out laughing. "What? Are you saying _both _of us were in your dream?"

Selina nodded and set down some food in front of him, which Elijah immediately snatched away. "It's alarming how easily you just give things out to whomever comes along. You don't have any standards or anything."

Selina rolled her eyes. "Well, it's an omelette, not my virginity for crying out loud! And even if it _was _my virginity, may I remind you that neither of you got that. It had already been gone for a_ long _time before either of you met me. So just think about that before you go on being ridiculous and why don't we just stop and eat breakfast like civilized people?"

"Actually, when I first met you, you were still a virgin," Elijah said. "Remember that?"

"Yes, I do," Selina nodded. "But the fact of the matter is, you left, so shut up." Elijah's jaw dropped a little. "And just let me remind you," Selina continued before he could say another word, "That it's your own _stupid _policy for me to tell you about anything that happens to me that involves other guys I've been with. I wasn't sure if a sexy dream counted, but I told you just to cover my butt. I figured if I didn't, then you'd find out later and yell at me about keeping stuff from you. Now, if you're gonna throw a hissy fit every time I do what you asked me to do, no matter _how unreasonable_ I think it is, then I'm not gonna tell you anything, okay? Cause honestly, what I do with my life is my business, not yours, and as long as I'm not sleeping around, which I'm _not_ because I _love you_, you silly man, then you should just trust me and not treat me like I'm a person under the watchful eye of Big Brother all the time! Next thing I know, you'll buy me a chastity belt and hide the freaking key!" She sighed in exasperation. "Do you need me to reheat your food? It's probably getting cold by now."

"Well, I, well-" Elijah held up his plate.

"Oh, just give me that!" Selina snapped, snatching the plate away. "I'll be back in a minute." She left for the kitchen and once she was gone, Klaus smirked at Elijah. "Spirited girl, isn't she? In the bedroom and everywhere else." He winked.

Elijah growled and made a lunge for his brother just as Selina came back into the dining room. She grabbed the paper and began hitting him on the shoulder with it. "Hey, hey, hey!" She said. "Use your words! There's no excuse for violence!"

"He was saying things about you!" Elijah nodded in Klaus' direction.

Selina looked at Klaus. "And just what were you saying?"

Klaus shrugged. "I was merely pointing out that you're a passionate woman and somehow my brother took that the wrong way."

Selina put her hands on her hips. "Seriously? Oh, my god. I can't deal with this anymore. Can we just_ eat _already? And I don't want to have to ask that everyone be quiet, but I will if you two can't be civil with each other." She then turned to Klaus, who was trying to sneak a gaze down the front of her lowcut nightgown. "Stop," she said. "I know what you're doing."

Klaus looked away. "Okay," he said. "Sorry."

Sighing, Selina took a seat in between the two brothers and they spent the rest of breakfast eating in tense silence.

* * *

Once Klaus left and Elijah retreated to his office in a huff, Selina decided that she had to tell someone about her dream, and knew there was only one person she _could_ tell: Anna. She dressed, put the kids in the car and dropped them off at their babysitter before checking things at the bakery and then finally heading over to Anna and Stefan's. She parked in the driveway, then strode to the door, pouding on it. Anna opened it so suddenly that Selina fell face first onto the carpet. She scrambled to her feet and faced her friend, and when Anna opened her mouth, undoubtedly to ask why Selina had come, it all came out in a rush before Anna could say a word.

"Last night, I had this dream and once I tell you what happened, you'll probably think it was too much information, but I had a threesome with Klaus and Elijah in the dream and it was so_ good_! Not in a slutty kind of way, but good because I was with two guys that I love and we were all getting along and for the first time in my life, I felt...I don't know..._whole_. That sound crazy, doesn't it? But I told them and now Elijah's in a funk and I don't know what I should do."

"How about take a breath?" Anna grinned. "Could you have talked any faster?"

Selina took a breath. "Okay," she said more slowly. "I had a dream last night where Nicky, Elijah and I were all in bed together at the same time and we were naked and it was good. I liked it. I told Elijah at breakfast and then Nicky showed up and now Elijah's upset with me. What should I do?"

"Why did you tell him about it?" Anna asked. "It's none of his business what you dream or don't dream! Now, if you_ actually _cheated on Elijah, you'd have him _and_ me to answer to, but I don't see what's so bad about a dream. And it's not like you're gonna actually _ask_ Nik and Elijah to have a threesome with you. You're not that foolish."

"Exactly," Selina nodded. "I wouldn't ask them to make the dream come true, even though it would really improve my quality of existence cause then I'd have everything I ever wanted in a man, you know?"

"Really?" Anna asked. "It takes _both_ Elijah and Nik to give you everything you ever wanted in a man?"

Selina nodded.

"But _why?"_ Anna asked. "Elijah is so solid! And dependable! And good-looking! What could possibly be missing?"

"Well think about it!" Selina told her. "Think about why you and I first became friends. Why was that?"

"Because you were a delightfully twisted person," Anna said fondly. "We had so much fun together."

"Exactly!" Selina said. "And part of me is still the same person I was when we became friends! It's not as obvious as it once was, but...I need adventure, okay? I need to just...wake up and do whatever comes to my mind. Have freedom. And as much as I love Elijah, being with him can be _constricting_ at times. He makes me conform to the traditional ideal of a wife and a mother and usually I'm okay with that cause I have the bakery to balance it all out, but sometimes, Elijah has to work late, or we're too tired to be with each other, and...that's when I miss Nicky and the life I had with him. I know it's selfish, but...I'm a very sexual person and occcasionally I feel like I don't get enough from Elijah. The rules, and having to wait...it drives me crazy and makes me wonder if it's really worth it. And I was so _happy_ in the dream..." She sighed, staring happily off into space.

"Hey!" Anna snapped her fingers, causing Selina to start.

"What?" Selina asked.

"You really want me to tell you what you should do?" Anna asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "That's what I came over here for."

"Okay," Anna said. "Go tell Elijah you're sorry. Even if you don't think he deserves to hear it. It will make him happy and peace will be restored. And for the moment, that should be enough for you. I know it's hard living with him. I'm his sister, I've done it. But there are good things too, right?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded.

"Think about those," Anna said. "And forget about the dream. Hopefully, it will never come back, so you won't have to be troubled by it and end up doing something really stupid that could wreck things between you and Elijah permanently. I mean, if he wasn't in your life, what would you do?"

"I'd go be with Nicky," Selina said immediately.

"Stop talking like that!" Anna said. "How many times do I have to say it? If you let yourself think like that, all you're gonna do is drive yourself insane. Things are perfect now. You and Elijah are getting along, you and Nik are on good terms, everything is perfect and it would take something pretty big to get you and Nik back together the way you want. I'm just saying."


	41. Father Knows Best

Selina looked at Anna and nodded. "All right," she said. "I'll go apologize. Even though I really don't think he deserves it. I was only obeying orders."

Anna nodded. "Most of the time, he doesn't. But if it will restore peace and get him out of that office of his, what do you have to lose, honestly?"

Selina sighed. "Thanks for your help," she said. "I know that talking about me and your brothers can't be the easiest thing for you."

Anna grinned. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure that at some point in the future, I'll finally come up with some reason to give you extensive intimate details about me and Stefan and then we'll be practically even, won't we?"

Selina's eyebrow went up. "'Practically'? I think in that case, we'd be _all the way_ even."

"No," Anna shook her head. "Not really. Now stop stalling and go, all right? Even though it's gonna be painful, you have to go make up with Elijah."

"I never had to make things up with Nicky," Selina said. "He never cared. If I would have told _him_ something about this-"

"He would have gotten just as mad about it as Elijah," Anna finished. "You know he would have."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I guess." Just then, Stefan came in. "Well, looks like we have a visitor," he said. "You want something to drink?"

Selina shook her head. "No, thanks. I was just on my way out."

Stefan looked at Anna. "Why is it that she always comes over here to see you when I'm gone and by the time I get back, she leaves? Is it me?"

"No!" Selina shook her head. "It's not you. I'm sure it's just a coincidence. If you wanna hang out so much, I'm sure we can find the time. Things are just a little frazzled right now and I have to get home and fix a mistake that I made."

"What horrible thing did you do now?" Stefan asked with a grin. "Tell me. I'm interested."

"I don't know if I have to," Selina told him. "If you've seen Klaus today, he's undoubtedly already told you. Cause you two tell each other everything."

Stefan nodded. "Well, he _did_ mention something about you telling him you had a dream about being in a threesome with him and Elijah. Is that what you're talking about?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Isn't it shameful enough for me that you _know_ about the dream? Do you honestly need me to confirm the veracity of it?"

"Yes," Stefan nodded. "I do."

Anna gave her a look, and Selina grinned at Stefan and said, "I don't think I will, cause honestly, it's none of your business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go."

She left and Stefan glowered at Anna. "Did you tell her not to tell me? I was looking forward to hearing more about it."

"What I _told_ her was that when she has sexy dreams, she doesn't need to go blabbing about them to everyone who will listen," Anna said. "She made the mistake of telling Elijah, and then Nick heard about it, and it just snowballed from there."

"It's a shame she started listening to you before I got to find out everything," Stefan said.

"Why are you so interested?" Anna asked. "What reason could there possibly be? Are you bored? Do we need to find something for you to do with yourself?"

"Possibly," Stefan grinned. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

Slowly strolling down the hallway, Selina reluctantly paused in front of Elijah's office. She reached out her hand to knock, and then pulled it back, groaning. She _really_ didn't enjoy the prospect of having to apologize to him and stroke his stupid ego when she technically hadn't done anything wrong in the first place. She reached out to the door again and then pulled her fist back, groaning and stomping her foot. When she tried a third time, the door opened and Elijah gazed at her inquiringly. "Yes?" He asked. "What do you want?"

"How did you know I was out here?" She asked. "I didn't knock or anything."

"Maybe not," Elijah said. "But the growling and whimpering as you mentally kicked yourself for not being able to knock on the door was very clear. You didn't _have_ to knock. So, what did you come here for?"

"I came-" Selina began. "I came to tell you that I'm sorry," she said quietly. "Telling you about the dream that I had was unnecessary. I should have kept it to myself. I'm not sorry for having the dream. I'm just saying I'm sorry about the way you got the message. I should have handled it more delicately in respect to your feelings."

"Were you considering _not_ telling me about it?" Elijah asked. "How could you _not_ tell me about it? You can't keep something like that to yourself."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Selina asked in exasperation. "When I tell you about it, you get cranky at me and hole yourself up in your office. When you know I'm planning not to tell you about it, you get offended. There has to be _some_ answer."

"There is," Elijah nodded. "Tell me, but leave out the really intimate details. A general summary is just fine."

"Or how about I don't tell you anything because what's in my brain is techinically none of your business and I shouldn't have to explain it to you, unless, for some crazy reason, I actually expected you and Klaus to make the dream come true, and I'm not that stupid!"

"So you want it to actually happen?" Elijah asked, looking shocked. "You actually want me and my brother to-"

"No!" Selina shook her head. "That's _not _what I said. Look, can we just forget that I ever mentioned it at all? Please? It would make things so much easier on both of us, and I promise to be more discreet in the future."

Elijah sighed, reaching out to stroke her hair. "Well," he said, "I suppose I could forgive you just this once."

"Well, thank you," Selina told him. "Now that we have that cleared up, I think I'll go lie down. This hasn't been the most pleasant of experiences for me and I'm in a hurry to forget it." She turned to walk away, but he stopped her.

"Wait a minute!" Elijah said. "You don't have to go. I was just thinking of taking a break."

Selina turned, a grin on her face. "Is that so?" She asked. "And just what were you planning on doing during your break? Anything I could help you with?"

Elijah grinned. "As a matter of fact, yes. I thought we could...spend some time in my office, perhaps an hour or two..." He gently pulled her toward him to embrace her.

"You know, that sounds good," Selina told him. "But I remember you telling me this morning that one of the criticisms you have of me is that I tend to just give myself to whoever comes along, and I've decided you're right about that, and that now is the perfect time to start ridding myself of that annoying habit. But there's always tonight, I suppose. A little waiting never hurt anyone." She freed herself from his embrace, turned and walked away, making sure her hips were swaying from side to side as she did so. She could hear him making angry noises in the back of his throat. They made her giggle. If he expected her to wait until nightfall all the time, surely having to wait just this once himself wouldn't kill him.

* * *

That night, Selina went into her and Elijah's bedroom just before bed, and didn't see him. She heard the shower going and let out her breath. She was grateful that he was busy so that she wouldn't have to face him just yet, because when she did, he would undoubtedly be filled with annoyance at how she had denied him earlier that day. She undressed and then got into some pajamas and socks and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over her lap. When the shower turned off and Elijah stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, she spoke. "Hi," she said. "Did you have a good shower?"

"Well," Elijah told her, "It would have been better if I hadn't had to do it alone, but considering certain people think they're too good for me, it was my only option."

"I never said I thought I was too good for you," Selina told him. "Those words never came out of my mouth."

"Well why else would you deny me when I'm giving you exactly what you always say you want?" Elijah asked her.

Selina sighed. "It's not exactly doing what _I _ want if you're the one who initiates it every time," she said. "Why can't you just let me start things once in awhile?"

"Because," Elijah sighed. "That's just not something I feel comfortable doing. I've always initiated every encounter I've ever had. Why do you have such a problem with that?"

"Well, maybe because every relationship _I've_ ever had was more equal," Selina told him. "You know, your brother never had any problem with letting me initiate stuff once in awhile. He never acted like it was some big offense against his manhood. Why can't you be more like that?"

"Because I just can't!" Elijah said. "Selina, I am how I am, and if you can't accept me that way, then maybe you should admit it, so we don't keep continuing this ridiculous charade of a relationship!"

Selina shut her eyes. "I'm not saying our relationship is bad, I'm just saying I want more control."

Elijah nodded. "And what _I'm_ saying is that I don't believe I can give you what you want, so you have to make a choice. Perhaps you should spend the night in your spare room so you can think things over. Then, we'll discuss what you want in the morning."

"Fine," Selina said, shoving the covers aside and getting out of bed. "I can spend the night in my spare room. It doesn't matter to me. By the way, you look really good in that towel."

"Thank you," Elijah said shortly. "And goodnight."

* * *

Selina had an uneasy night, tossing and turning in every direction, and when she finally did get relaxed enough to fall asleep, she thought things were looking up. She began having the same dream she'd had the night before: _Her, Klaus and Elijah happily rolling around naked in bed...but that night, something was different. At one point, it began to rain and then they heard a knock on the bedroom door._

_"Can anyone tell me where my clothes are?" Selina asked. "I'll get the door."_

_Klaus threw something at Selina and she pulled it over her head so she was covered, then she went to open the bedroom door, just as a flash of lightning illuminated their visitor's face. Selina let out a shriek and ran to the bed, and he followed. Selina clutched at Elijah, whimpering and praying that Elijah wouldn't hurt her._

_"Father," Elijah finally got out, "What is it that you want?"_

_"You," Mikael said. He produced a dagger out of thin air and shoved it into Elijah's chest. As blood spurted all over Selina's t-shirt, Elijah disappeared, along with Mikael, leaving Selina and Klaus alone in bed together..._

When she awakened from the dream for real, she was so disoriented that she momentarily forgot she was in her spare bedroom. She began feeling around for Elijah on the mattress beside her and when she realized he wasn't there, she curled into the fetal position and lapsed into sobs.

A few minutes later, she heard the door open and let out a yell. "What do you want?" She yelled. "Go away! Leave me alone!"

The lights turned on and she felt strong arms around her. "Shhh!" a voice whispered. "It's okay. You'll be all right. Just relax."

Selina looked into Elijah's eyes, which were full of concern. "Oh, my god!" She said, sniffling and hugging him hard. "You're not dead! I'm so happy!"

"Why would I be dead?" Elijah asked.

"I had a dream where you died," Selina said. "Your father killed you. It was really scary. And I'm sorry about all the stuff I said to you before. It was stupid."

"I don't think you should be in here by yourself anymore," he said. "I'm going to have to insist that you come back to bed with me."

Selina nodded. "Okay, but...will you carry me?"

Elijah nodded, picked her up and carried her to their room. He lay her down on the bed, then climbed beside her. "Any better?" He asked. "Do you think you'll be able to get back to sleep?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Not by myself. I wouldn't mind some help though."

Elijah realized what she was getting at and sighed. "Really? Now, of all times?"

"Yes," Selina said. "Please? It would really help me be calm. And you're already out of your shirt." She eyed his bare chest eagerly.

"Well, all right," Elijah said as she began to unbutton the shirt of her pajamas. "I guess a little bit of a workout wouldn't hurt." He got her pants off and made love until they both fell asleep.

* * *

Selina groaned as the alarm went off. She shifted carefully and turned to Elijah, who had his arm wrapped around her midsection. "I bet you have to get up and get dressed for work now, don't you?" She asked. "Just like every day." She sighed and tried not to seem bummed.

"Actually," Elijah grinned, sitting up and pulling her up to a sitting position. "I have good news and I have bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?"

"The bad news, I guess," Selina decided. "Then we can get it out of the way."

"My father wants us to meet him for lunch today," Elijah told her. "He said that it was time for him to finally accept you into the family. I told him we'd be glad to come."

Selina groaned. "Do we _really_ have to go eat with your father? I bet he's not gonna accept me at all. I bet he's gonna lure us to his house and then try and stake me while you're going to the bathroom or something. I don't like this idea. I don't think we should go, considering last night I had a dream with him in it where you died!"

Elijah whispered in her ear, "If we go, I won't have to go hunting with Father today. I'll get to stay home with you. What's your answer now?"

Selina heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Fine," she said. "We can go and have lunch with your father. But I am going to be on my guard. I don't trust him at all."

"Well, I suppose that's better than nothing," Elijah told her as she lay her head on his shoulder. He inhaled the scent of her hair and shut his eyes, wishing they could just stay like this all day. They stayed like this until a cry from Colin shattered their peace.

"Well," Selina sighed. "Duty calls." She pushed the covers aside and got out of bed. Elijah's eyes followed her intently as she walked around to his side of the bed to get her robe off of the bedknob. "Remind me why I can't have_ my _robe hanging on _my_ side of the bed?" Selina asked as she put it on and tied it closed.

Elijah grinned a wicked grin. "Well, that wouldn't be as fun for me, would it?" He asked.

Selina's eyebrow raised. "In that case, sir, you are lucky that I am not ashamed of my body, otherwise, I would not put up with that kind of behavior!"

Elijah grinned even wider. "Oh, come on! You _love_ showing off for me!"

Selina grinned. "Well, okay. I suppose I do. And don't think I don't notice that you're doing your best to do the same for me. Thanks. You're a beautiful man."

Elijah grinned. "Well, you know the reason why I prefer to stay modest most of the time, don't you?"

"Cause you want to drive me nuts, right?" Selina replied. "You just want me to want you and want you until by the time night fall rolls around, I'm ready to explode!"

He got off the bed and kissed her. "So you're onto my evil plan, then."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Why can't you come up with a different evil plan that won't drive me crazy, though?"

Elijah sighed. "If it didn't drive you crazy, would it be evil? And I think it's a good idea for you to learn to control your base impulses. You're gonna thank me someday."

Selina sighed. "I bet if it were _you_, and it were _your _needs, we wouldn't have to control _anything_," she muttered under her breath. Elijah heard what she said, but chose to ignore it.

Without another word, Selina made her way to Colin's nursery, where, when she took him to the rocking chair to feed him, he gave her what she thought was a very reproachful look. "What?" Selina asked. "I'm sorry I was a little slow getting in here this morning. Don't blame me. Blame your father. It was all _his_ doing!"

Colin went back to eating and when he was done and burped, Selina decided to give him a bath. After he was dressed, Selina put him back in his crib and went to go get dressed herself.

"So," She said to Elijah as she dressed. "What time do we have to see your father? I want to know how long I have to prepare myself before I'm unceremoniously dragged off against my will."

"What's wrong with you?" Elijah asked her. "We were getting along so well this morning. Where did all the attitude come from? I don't like it. Stop it, please."

Selina gave a mock curtsey. "If my lord wishes." She then continued dressing in silence and didn't say another word to him until the kids had been dropped off at their babysitter and the two of them were standing in front of Mikael's front door.

"Any more instructions for me before we go inside?" She asked. "I want to make sure I don't disappoint you."

"All I ask is that you be polite," Elijah told her. "That's not too much to ask of you, is it? Especially considering that my father invited us specifically because he's decided to put aside all his past feelings about you and accept you into our family. It's a big gesture for a man like him."

"Yeah, someone should give him a medal for being _such_ a good sport!" Selina said.

"Selina..." Elijah told her through his teeth.

"Sorry," she said. "That's the last one, I promise. I'm done for now. I'll be good." She held out her hand and he reached out and held it tight, knocking on the ornate metal knocker with his free hand. They waited for a few seconds, and then a severe-looking older man wearing a tuxedo opened the door. "You're expected," he said, after looking them over. "Come this way, please."

They followed him to a dining room where Mikael sat amidst a table covered with food: Sandwiches, cakes, full slabs of meat, and several other things were all over the table. Selina sat down and did her best to smile. "Wow," she said. "This all looks delightful. You've really outdone yourself, sir."

Elijah nodded at her in approval. "You know, Father, she's right. Now, are we going to eat first, or are you going to make your announcement first?"

"I thought it would be best if we ate first," Mikael said. "If I made my announcement first, I wouldn't be able to keep any food down!"

Selina and Elijah looked at one another and then both gave short, awkward laughs. "Oh, that's funny," Selina said. "That's a good one."

"I don't know why you're acting as if I told a joke," Mikael said. "I'm absolutely serious."

"Oh," Selina said quietly, and then reached for a sandwich. She managed to keep herself silent for the rest of the meal and when the food had finally been cleared away, Mikael rose. Elijah rose with him and then he took Selina's hand and they followed his father into what seemed to be a room full of weaponry.

"What is all this?" Selina asked as she eyed the antique swords, maces, guns and other stuff.

"Oh, nothing," Mikael told her, turning away and fiddling around in a drawer. "My collection is all this is. Now, onto why we're here."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "You want to welcome me into your family."

"Yes," Mikael slowly turned, lovingly stroking a dagger in his right hand. "That is _exactly _what I want to do." He lunged at Selina with the dagger, but just as he was about to reach her, Elijah elbowed her aside and she heard a sickening crunch as the dagger entered between his ribs. He froze and and his body fell heavily to the floor.

"Oh, my god," Selina said to him, feeling hot tears well up in her eyes. "What the hell have you done?!"

* * *

Selina looked down at Elijah's prone body. She shook him and tried to turn him over, then clutched him to herself the best she could. "Elijah!" She said. "Elijah, talk to me!"

"He won't be able to," said a willowy woman with dark hair and almond shaped dark eyes. She grinned a wicked grin and waved her hand. Suddenly, he disappeared and Selina fell forward. "What did you do to him, you bitch?" She asked. "Where did he go?"

"Now, now," Mikael said. said. "There'll be no need for language like that. I would have thought that domestic life had calmed that temper of yours by now, but I was obviously mistaken."

Selina growled, then zipped over and grabbed the woman by the throat. "Tell me where she put Elijah, or I'll kill her!" she said, giving the woman a shake and then, without waiting for Mikael's answer, she snapped the woman's neck, tears still falling from her eyes. "Now what are you gonna do? I've killed your witch."

Mikael grinned and shrugged. "And? Am I supposed to be threatened by that? Do you think I'm just going to give up now? Honestly, you really _are_ stupid, aren't you? If it weren't for my son protecting you, I would have been able to kill you a_ long _time ago."

"You mean the same son you just murdered?" Selina asked, feeling sick. "How could you _do _that? Don't you care about him?"

"I care about people who obey my commands, people who don't defy me. The second Elijah made the choice to consort with you, I realized that I'd have to get rid of him. That was when he was dead to me."

"So now what?" Selina asked. "Are you gonna kill me too?"

"No," Mikael shook his head. "As much as I don't want to admit it, you have a use for me now. After all, if I killed you, who would watch my grandchildren?"

Selina narrowed her eyes and ran at him, her arms flailing everywhere as she tried to hit him just once. But she didn't even manage one hit.

"Such a shame it had to come to this with me and Elijah," Mikael said and for a moment, Selina thought he _did_ look genuinely sorry. "He's usually such a bright boy. Shame you had to come along and ruin everything for him."

"You planned to kill him when you lured him here with some bullshit promise of being nice to me, didn't you?" Selina asked.

Mikael nodded. "Of course. The dagger wouldn't have the same effect on you as it did on him. It would hurt you, certainly, but eventually, you'd heal. Not really the most lasting punishment for someone who has intruded on my family."

"Yet you don't seem to mind that Elijah and I had children together," Selina said, feeling disgusted. "When you came up with this plan of yours, did you even think about them? How are my kids supposed to be without their father? They're gonna notice he's missing!"

"Oh, I'm sure with that even with that smart mouth and inferior female brain of yours, you could come up with some reason to explain why Elijah's not around, can't you?" Mikael asked.

"You bet I can," Selina said through her teeth. "May I go home now, sir?"

"Please," Mikael nodded. "Go. I can't stand the sight of you any longer."

* * *

Selina lay in her bed, sobbing. She wasn't under the covers because she didn't feel like she had the strength to tuck herself in.

"It's my fault!" She whispered. "It was all my fault!"

Just then, there was a quiet knock on her bedroom door. She did her best to calm down and said, "Come in!" The door opened a crack and Laura sauntered in. "Cookies, Mama!" She said.

Selina sat up and shook her head, taking Laura in her arms. "No, sweetie. Mommy doesn't feel like making cookies right now because Mommy is sad."

"Why?" Laura asked.

Selina shut her eyes. She hadn't thought about what to tell the kids in regards to what had happened to Elijah. But she'd have to tell them_ something_. Eventually they would notice he was missing. She hadn't been lying to Mikael about that.

"Daddy's gone," she said. "That's why Mommy is sad."

"Where he go?" Laura asked.

Selina sighed and sniffled. "He just went away," she said. "Hopefully, he'll be back someday."

"Daddy gone?" Laura asked. Her lip trembled and tears spilled out of her big blue eyes.

"No, don't cry!" Selina said quickly. "It will be okay! Why don't we go get you those cookies now? That will make everything better."

Laura nodded and with the greatest amount of effort, Selina managed to get herself out of bed and go to the kitchen to make cookies.

While they were making them, Gregory came in. "Can I have batter?" He asked.

"Sure," Selina said, handing him a small amount on a spoon. "Who really cares, honestly?"

"Daddy gone," Laura said to Gregory.

"Where?" Gregory asked, looking at Selina with the same expression of concern that Elijah wore so frequently that she almost teared up again.

"He went somewhere with your grandfather and I don't know when they'll be back," she said. "Now let's not talk about that anymore, okay? Mommy wants to talk about happy things."

They finished making the cookies and ate them in record time. Then Gregory and Laura went to their rooms to play and Selina took care of Colin. After that, she put him down for a nap and went into Elijah's office, sitting in his chair and taking in everything that she never noticed before, cause usually when she was in here, she had other things on her mind. The desk had two pictures on it: one was a family portrait of the five of them and the other was Selina and Elijah's wedding picture. Selina picked up the wedding photo and gazed at it. The two of them looked so happy. But it was just her now for who knew how long. She would get through it like she always had. She knew she could. Dwelling on what she'd lost wouldn't help. She'd just have to devote every ounce of her energy to taking care of her kids. That way, she wouldn't think of him as much.

She sat in silence for a little while and then picked up the phone, calling Klaus.

"Hey, Nicky," she said. "Are you busy?"

"It's Nicky, now is it?" Klaus asked slyly. "Does Elijah know you're talking to me?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "He doesn't know much of anything at the moment. I don't even know where he is."

"How could you lose track of him?" Klaus asked. "I thought the two of you were glued together at the hip."

"We were," Selina said. "Until today. Elijah got a call from Mikael saying he wanted to finally accept me into the family. We went, we ate, and then..." Her voice caught.

"And then what?" Klaus asked, his voice angry. He knew what was coming. "Selina, what has Mikael done?"

"He plunged a dagger into Elijah's heart," Selina said. "And then this witch bitch of his made the body disappear. Elijah's gone, Nicky. He's gone and I don't know what to do now."


	42. All For The Best

Klaus didn't respond. For several minutes, the other line was silent. "Hello?" Selina finally said. "Nicky, are you still there?"

"Yes," he said. "I'm just thinking."

"About what?" Selina asked. "If you're thinking about taking Mikael on, don't. I've already lost Elijah. I don't want to lose you as well."

"Well, love, I won't let what Mikael did to my brother stand," Klaus said. "He won't get away with it. I_ will _avenge Elijah somehow. But I suppose I should plan something out before going off to action, shouldn't I?"

"Maybe," Selina agreed. "I don't know how much it would help, but plans are good. And when you actually take vengeance, I'm coming too. You aren't gonna leave me behind."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Klaus told her. "You always _were _a good fighting partner. I'd have to be a fool to leave you behind."

"Good," Selina nodded. "We'll do this together. Not that it will get Elijah back or anything, but at least _we'll_ feel better."

"In the meantime," Klaus asked, "What is it that you plan to do with yourself? Are you staying at the house? Do the children know?"

"Yeah," Selina said. "Well, Laura and Gregory do. With Colin it doesn't matter yet. It hit Laura so hard. She cried as much as me. But yeah, I think we'll stay at the house. I don't want to uproot the kids' lives any more than they've already been by moving somewhere else."

"Sounds reasonable," Klaus said. "And remember that if you ever feel like you need to talk, I'm just a phone call away."

Selina nodded, feeling herself start to tear up again. "Thank you, Nicky. I'll remember that."

* * *

Klaus hung up the phone and sighed. He was glad Selina was calling him Nicky again. That always led to good things. It was a shame that it had to happen along with Elijah being daggered, which was most unfortunate.

He got up from his desk chair and paced around the morning room. Plots to kill Mikael weren't easy coming, and finally, he decided the best thing to do was to go break the news of what had happened to Anna. He put on his coat, got in his car, and drove to her and Stefan's.

When he got there, he stood on the front step, deciding how best to phrase what had happened to Elijah for his sister. He stood there so long that Anna opened the door before he even had a chance to knock. "Hi, Nik," she said. "If you're gonna come in, come in. You don't want the neighbors to think you're a creeper or a pervert or something."

Klaus nodded. "Sorry," he said. His voice was subdued. He was quiet as he followed Anna into the house and sat down opposite her and Stefan in the living room. "So," she said. "What brings you here?"

Klaus cleared his throat. "I have to tell you something and you won't want to hear it, but...Mikael staked Elijah. Then his witch made Elijah's body disappear."

Anna's jaw dropped and she stood up quickly. "What? How did this happen? When did this happen? Does Selina know?"

Klaus nodded. "I'm afraid so. She was the one who called to tell me about it. Said it happened earlier today. She sounded like a real mess on the phone."

"No wonder," Anna said through tears. "Elijah is gone! You can't expect her to just get over that, especially when it hasn't even been twenty-four hours! And don't you go using this as an opportunity to make a move on her either. I know how much you like her!"

"I would never!" Klaus said, standing up quickly. "At least not this soon. I can't believe you would accuse me of such a thing."

"It crossed your mind!" Anna sniffed, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "Admit it!"

"I don't think I need to," Klaus said. "It's no secret. But she's lost her husband and we've lost a brother and we need to do everything we can to support each other. No matter how difficult it will be, I won't even entertain thinking of Selina romantically. At least not until she's made it clear that's okay. I don't know when it will be. It could be years. But it's the right thing to do."

"Yes, it is!" Anna nodded. "And don't you forget that, brother."

* * *

His promise to stay away from Selina was still fresh in his mind when he went back home a couple hours later, so it was very surprising to see Selina's car in the driveway when he pulled in.

"Hi," he said. "Did you try to call? I was at Anna and Stefan's. That's why I didn't answer." He leaned against the car door. "How long have you been sitting in the driveway?"

Selina sniffled and looked at the car clock. "I dropped the kids off at your mom's two hours ago, and let's just say she wasn't too happy about what happened to Elijah either. Said there's a reason why you have a different father." She tried to smile at that, but failed. "I came over here because I was lonely," she said. "I know I have the kids and all, but I can only comfort them for so long and eat so many cookies before things get depressing and I realize that there's no one around to comfort _me._"

"So you came to my house and sat in my driveway," Klaus said.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "This is gonna sound ridiculous, and I normally wouldn't ask, but seeing as how my reason for _not_ asking has disappeared and no one knows where he went...Nicky, would you hug me?"

Klaus looked at her in surprise. "You came all the way over here and sat in my driveway for two hours cause you wanted me to _hug_ you?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded, feeling like she was gonna start crying again. "Please?"

Klaus stared at her uncertainly for a few seconds, but as tears began streaming down her face, he snatched her out of the car and hugged her hard. As he held her, he felt her tense body start to relax. Where she had been racked with sobs, she began to calm down. Still, he held her, breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo. They stood like this for several seconds, happily cuddling each other before she pulled back with a shocked look on her face. "Put me down!" She said insistently. "Put me down!"

"Yes," he nodded, putting her down in a standing position on the driveway. "That might be best."

"Cause you know that if we just kept being like that, _things_ could happen, and it's much too soon for _things_ to start happening. For heaven's sake, your brother just _died._ And I love him!" Selina proclaimed. "It's much too soon for me to start allowing myself to have feelings about you."

"Exactly," Klaus nodded, stepping away from her. "And I'll have you know that if you _ever_ consider moving in with me, you will not bring any of that shampoo with you."

"Well, all right," Selina nodded. "As long as you agree to get rid of that cologne you're wearing."

"I thought you liked it!" Klaus said. She nodded. "And that's the problem. I like it as much as you like my shampoo."

"Do you feel better?" Klaus asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I think I do. Thank you _so_ much for your help."

"No problem," Klaus said, trying to stay relaxed. "Any time."

"Bye!" Selina began pulling out of the driveway and when she reached the street and drove off, she let out a breath. "That was close," she said. "Elijah, don't worry," she called. "I promise I didn't do anything!"

* * *

Several months later, everyone was still grieving Elijah's loss, although it the pain wasn't as raw as it had been initially. There was a brief break in the mourning process when Helene finally went into labor with her and Adrian's second baby.

As her mother began screaming, Lenora shut her eyes and popped over to Enid's, appearing next to her father who was drinking a beer. He saw her and started. "Ladybug!" he said. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Mom says you have to come back now!" Lenora began tugging on Adrian's arm. "She's gonna have the baby!"

"Wonderful," Adrian sighed. "Well, let's go then."

"What's the matter?" Lenora paused. "Aren't you happy the baby is coming?"

Adrian shut his eyes tight and then took Lenora in his arms. "You might have noticed that I wasn't around while your mother was pregnant," he said. "Did you notice that?"

"Well, duh!" Lenora said. "I called you every day! Sometimes you answered and sometimes you didn't!"

"I'm worried," Adrian confessed. "I'm worried that when the baby starts showing powers, your mother will insist on raising her like a witch."

"Well we _are_ witches!" Lenora said.

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "But you're other things too. You know that, right? Your mother likes to pretend you aren't, but you are. She never lets me teach you anything and I know she won't let me teach the new baby either. So really, what's the point in my coming home if the only thing I'm gonna be used for is magical target practice?"

Lenora frowned and put her hands on her hips. "You are coming home because I love you, I miss you and Mommy is driving me _crazy_! That's all. Now come _on_!" She grabbed his hand and nearly yanked him off the barstool before they disappeared and went home to Helene.

* * *

When Lenora and Adrian got back home, Adrian winced. "Yep, it sounds like the baby is coming. Did one of you call Grandma or Grandpa?"

"Yes, they did," Alistair said, giving Adrian a look. "We've been here for a while now. You're the only one who hasn't been."

"Did your daughter explain to you why I wasn't around?" Adrian asked. "I had a perfectly good reason!"

"You did?" Alistair asked. "Tell me, what was it?" He advanced on Adrian, who swallowed nervously and backed up.

"I was scared," Adrian said. "I didn't plan on this one. Neither of us did!"

"Well, that's no reason to leave," Alistair told him. "You should have stayed. It's what a real man would have done. Your father stayed for Roxanne, even though he was nervous about having her around because he and your mother were being hunted by Vanessa at the time. He was scared, but he stayed. Not once in my life would I have thought I'd say your father was better than you, but-"

"Grandpa?" Lenora interrupted. "Can I go to my room now?"

Alistair sighed. "Yes, dear. Go to your room. We'll tell you when it's okay for you to come out." Lenora scampered off to her room and Adrian shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know it looks bad for me and I know I should have stayed, but when I put all the events leading up to this second pregnancy together, I just...I feel taken advantage of. Helene _knew_ that I was hesitant about having another child and then she dragged me off to the magic convention where we get hopped up on magic love juice and next thing you know, she's pregnant again. I just wish we would have talked more about it before it happened. Sometimes, I feel like Helene gets an idea in her head and decides that that's what we're gonna do regardless of what I think. I feel like I have no purpose. She doesn't let me teach Lenora about being a vampire or a werewolf or anything. I mean, sometimes if Helene is feeling particularly charitable, she'll let me take Lenora out hunting, but other than that, nothing. I asked her why once and she said it was because she thought that being taught about her vampire side, and learning to feed from people would scar Lenora for life. She'll probably say the same thing about this kid." Adrian looked at Alistair. "You probably don't believe me, but it's true."

"Oh, I know how Helene keeps control of Lenora," Alistair said. "I would have to be a fool to miss it. It doesn't excuse you leaving, though."

"I won't leave again," Adrian said. "I promise."

Alistair nodded. "All right. I will speak to Helene about relaxing her rules and allowing you more influence with Lenora and the new baby."

"Okay," Adrian nodded and took a deep breath. "Where's Helene? I should probably be with her, shouldn't I?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "You should. Come with me." They headed to the bedroom, where Helene was in bed, sweating, screaming and swearing while Astrid tried to calm her.

"Wow, Helene," Adrian said, trying to keep his tone light. "I didn't know you knew those words."

"How could you not?" Helene panted. "I learned them from you!" She let out a yell.

This went on for quite some time until, with one final grunt, Helene pushed the baby out.

"It's a little girl," Astrid said.

"You hear that?" Adrian said to Helene as he eased his hand out of hers, praying with all his might he'd be able to get the circulation back in it.

"Yeah, I heard," Helene said. "It means you're the only guy."

Adrian nodded. "And I get to live with three beautiful girls. Well, two beautiful girls and one beautiful woman, if you want to be precise."

"Yep," Helene nodded. "If you don't leave again, that is."

"I promise I won't," Adrian said. "And I'm sorry I did in the first place."

"So," Astrid asked as she put the baby in Adrian's arms. "What are you gonna name her?"

"Alice," Helene said immediately. "Alice Susan. I've known that forever."

"Well, that's _one_ option," Alistair said quickly, as he watched Adrian trying really hard to keep hold of his temper. "Adrian, what do _you_ think she should be named?"

"What are you asking him for, Daddy?" Helene asked angrily. "He wasn't even here!"

"You picked Lenora's name," Alistair said gently. "Now it's his turn."

Helene eyed Adrian resentfully and lay back against the pillows.

Adrian looked down at the little girl for a long moment. Her face was red and puffy and sprouting from her head were a few wisps of what seemed to be blonde hair. "Felicity," he said. "Felicity Joy."

"What do you think of that?" Alistair asked Helene, who scowled. "I suppose that's a nice name too," she said.

Alistair grinned. "Felicity Joy it is, then."

Helene shut her eyes. "Goody. Can everyone just go away? I'm tired."

"Do you want me to stay in here with you?" Adrian offered.

Helene shook her head. "No, thank you. You could go introduce Lenora to her little sister if you wanted."

"Okay," Adrian nodded. "I'll do that. You have a nice rest."

"It would probably be better if you slept in another room while I put your sheets and blankets in the wash," Astrid said.

"Okay," Helene nodded and got out of bed. Alistair took her hand to keep her stable and led her into another bedroom, tucking her in just as he had when she was a child. "You rest now," he said. "And I know its hard, but do you suppose you could be a little nicer to Adrian? I know he left, but he has expressed to me that one of the reasons why he did it was because you make him feel like he has no purpose in your family, since you won't let him teach Lenora about vampire and werewolf things."

"I'm just trying to protect her," Helene said. "I don't want her to be scarred for life because she has to kill someone."

"I'm sure Adrian wouldn't let her go that far," Alistair reasoned. "Could you try trusting him with this? I think it would really be good for both of you."

Helene sighed. "First I don't get to pick the baby's name when I did all the work carrying it and having it and now I have to give up Lenora too? Daddy, this isn't fair!"

"Well, how do you think Adrian feels when you allow Lenora to use him for magical target practice?" Alistair asked. "Helene, dear, these are his girls too. They aren't just yours."

Helene rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll let him show Lenora vampire stuff. But if something happens and she comes home crying, Adrian will have no one to blame but himself."

Meanwhile, Adrian walked to Lenora's bedroom door and called softly for her to let him in.

"I can't open the door myself," he said. "My arms are full of baby."

Lenora opened the door. "Mommy had the baby! Let me see it!"

Adrian grinned as he went inside and sat down on her bed. "You have a little sister," he said. "Her name is Felicity."

"Where did that come from?" Lenora asked. "Mom said her name was gonna be Alice!"

"Well, yeah. But then your grandfather decided that I should pick this baby's name since your mother picked yours and I chose for her to be called Felicity. It means 'happiness'."

Lenora grinned. "So you _are_ happy the baby came!"

"Well, of course!" Adrian said. "I admit, I'll be nervous when she starts showing signs of having powers, but I'm very happy I have both of you."

* * *

And as the months passed, that didn't change. One day, six months after Felicity's birth, Helene said to Adrian, "Just to warn you, Lissy might start showing evidence of her powers any day now."

"What?" Adrian asked, tensing. "How? I mean, I know it happened with Lenora, but it's been so long that I forgot."

"Any sudden movement from her could send magic shooting out everywhere," Helene told him, her voice full of relish. "It could be a twitch or a sneeze or anything like that, that could make the walls change, or turn you into a frog, or whatever. You just never know."

"You're just saying that to scare me," Adrian said.

"No, I'm not," Helene told him. "I'm doing you a favor so you'll be prepared."

"No amount of talk could prepare me for magic," Adrian said. "But thanks for the warning, anyhow."

Things were quiet with Felicity for the rest of the day, but as Adrian was changing her diaper before putting her to bed, she sneezed and Adrian's eyes widened as a large spider scuttled around the changing table.

"Helene!" Adrian called. "Lissy sneezed! Help me!"

Helene came into the room, grabbing the spider before it went off the changing table and turning it back into a baby. "There we go," She said, taking a deep breath. "All better." Adrian looked down at Felicity, who looked at him innocently and then burst into giggles.

"That's enough fun for you, young lady," Adrian said and put her in her crib. She settled down to sleep almost immediately and then Adrian followed Helene to bed.

But _he_ didn't sleep as easily as his daughter. Despite the vow Helene had made to let Adrian have more of a say with the kids, Adrian doubted she'd keep that promise. Visions of babies turning into spiders and worse things flew around his brain. Finally, he sat up, panting, realizing that there was only one thing he could do to make sure Lissy learned everything she was supposed to. He sneaked out of bed, dressed, then went to Felicity's room and put her in her carrier, thankful that both she and her mother were heavy sleepers. He took his daughter out to his car and drove her over to his father's, even though it had to be two or three in the morning. He parked the car in the street and carried Felicity to Klaus' front door, knocking and praying his father would answer.

When he finally did, Klaus looked at Adrian in surprise. "Well, this wasn't something I was expecting this early in the morning."

"Can we come in?" Adrian asked. "I need a favor."

"Sure," Klaus nodded. "It's not like I'm not up already. Come in."

Adrian brought Felicity inside and they all situated themselves in the living room.

"I don't mean to sound inquisitive, but what terrible emergency has brought you to my doorstep this early in the morning?" Klaus asked his son.

"You're gonna think I'm crazy, but just hear me out," Adrian said. "I want you and Alistair to raise Felicity. It's the only way she'll grow up knowing all the stuff she needs to know about herself. Helene _says_ she'll let me teach Felicity about werewolf and vampire stuff, but I don't know if I trust her. For all I know, she'll break the promise at the last minute. She probably just made it in the first place to make Alistair happy. So will you do it?" He asked hopefully. "Will you raise my daughter?"


	43. The Little Runaway

"Oh, my god!" Selina said as she stumbled sleepily toward the front door. The knocking was insistent and annoying, especially for this early in the morning. "God!" She muttered. "Doesn't anyone_ sleep _anymore? What could possibly be so important that I have to be troubled this early in the morning?" She tripped over a toy near the stairs, swore, opened the door and gasped. "Nicky? What are you doing at my front door?" She looked down and saw the carrier. "And with a baby!" She paused. "Oh, my god. Is that Felicity?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Look, I know it's early and you're tired, but can we come in?"

"Sure," Selina yawned. "Why not?"

Klaus brought Felicity in and they all sat down in the living room. "So," Selina cleared her throat and pulled her pink silk robe tighter around herself. "Why do _you_ have her?"

"Adrian brought her to me," Klaus said. "Just an hour ago. Asked me to raise her. Can you believe that?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Why would he ask you to do that?"

"He says that if she stays with him and Helene, she'll never learn vampire and werewolf stuff, so it would just be best for me to teach her."

"Why can't_ he _just teach her vampire and werewolf stuff himself?" Selina asked. "What's the problem?"

"Apparently, Helene won't let him." Klaus shrugged.

"So?" Selina frowned. "Has he become whipped or something? Why can't he just speak up and tell Helene that it doesn't matter what she thinks, he'll teach Felicity vampire stuff anyway? I mean, if I listened to Elijah and just obeyed everything he said, then what would the point of my life be, seriously? He should know better than that! I'm gonna have a talk with him in the morning and we'll sort this whole stupid mess out." She sighed. "Nicky, did you want to stay here? There's room, so you can."

Just then, Felicity started to cry. Selina reached out for her and Klaus put up his hand. "No," he said. "I'll handle this. You don't need to. You can go back to bed."

"Are you sure?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Klaus nodded, cuddling Felicity closer. "We'll be okay."

Selina watched them for a long moment and sighed. "All right," she said. "I'll get some lights on for you so you can see where you're going and then I'll go up to bed."

"And you're gonna see Adrian in the morning?" Klaus asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I most definitely will." She turned on some lights and then came back down. "Colin's bassinette is still in the closet down here," she said. "You could put Felicity in that, if you wanted, and there are lots of empty rooms around. Just make sure, please, that you're as quiet as you can possibly be. It would be hard to get the other kids back to sleep if they wake up."

Klaus nodded. "All right. We'll be quiet. And Selina? Thanks for your help."

Selina nodded. "You're welcome. Good night, Nicky." She came to kiss Felicity on the forehead and Klaus tensed. "What's wrong?" Selina asked. "I wasn't gonna bite her. I was just giving her a kiss!"

Klaus nodded. "I know, sorry. Just a little nervous. Goodnight." Selina nodded. "Goodnight again, Nicky." She headed upstairs and then Klaus looked down at Felicity and sighed before taking her into an empty room that had been Colin's old nursery before Selina had moved him upstairs. Klaus carefully tucked Felicity into the bassinet and then climbed into the bed beside it. He thought he would just fall asleep, but he didn't. He lay in bed watching the dark shape of the bassinet and at even the slightest peep from Felicity, he bolted upright and came to take her in his arms. It was a hard first night, but he got through it. So did Adrian, but the next morning was a whole other story.

* * *

"Adrian! Adrian!" Sleepily, Adrian sat up at the sound of Helene's panicked, tearful voice. "What, Helene?" He asked. "What's wrong?"

"Felicity's gone!" Helene yelled. "She's not in her crib! We have to go find her! What if she got kidnapped?"

"Well, if that had happened, the second she sneezed, the kidnappers would have probably been terrified and brought her back, so that's not a problem. She didn't get kidnapped," Adrian said. "I took her to my dad's."

"Why did you_ do _that?" Helene asked. "When did you do that? You have to tell me when you take her out of the house so I don't have a heart attack!"

"I don't know when it was exactly," Adrian said. "Probably between two and three this morning. But I brought her to Dad's and she's _fine_!"

Helene looked like she wanted to smack him. "Why would you take her to your dad's at a weird time like that?" She asked.

"Because you were asleep and wouldn't stop me, that's why," Adrian replied. "Helene, I'm doing what's best for her."

"How is taking her away from her mother 'what's best for her'?" Helene asked. "She's just a teeny little baby! She can't take care of herself! And your dad's hardly taken care of any kids! Your mom did all of that."

"You are fucking insane," Adrian said, his eyes narrowing. "You think that because you're the mother and a witch that you can just take over everything and raise the kids your way while I'm made a fool and have no say in the lives of my daughters whatsoever. Well, that's gonna change. I brought Felicity to my father so that he can teach her all the werewolf and vampire stuff you won't allow me to. And that's that. There's nothing you can do about it."

"Yes, there is!" Helene replied. "I'll tell my father. That's what I can do about it! He'll go see yours and demand that he give Felicity back and bring her home!"

"And what if he doesn't?" Adrian asked. "What if he sides with me and says that you've overstepped your boundaries? He already mentioned after you gave birth to Felicity that he thinks you've overplayed your hand with Lenora."

"I have _not_ overplayed my hand!" Helene shook her head. "I've done everything right! It's _you _who's done stuff wrong. You were the one who abandoned Lenora and me while I was pregnant! What kind of a jackass does that?"

"A jackass who's tired of being dominated by his controlling shrew of a wife!" Adrian said. "_That's_ what kind of a jackass does that! I'm doing stuff I should have done a long time ago, but I didn't. I didn't stand up for myself until now. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Helene asked. She and Adrian were now standing nose to nose.

"Because I remembered you in the hospital when we were kids," Adrian told her. His voice was quiet now. "I remembered what you looked like in the hospital after I really let myself go and attacked you. All the gashes you had. All the blood you lost because of me. I swore I'd never let that happen again. So I've restrained myself all this time. Let you call the shots. I know that was my choice, but what you've shown me over the years is that I don't _need _ to restrain myself against you. I need to let myself use every ounce of power that I have because you certainly do that with yours. It's the only way we'll ever be even!"

Helene tensed, muscles in her face twitching as it turned an ugly purple color. "You want us to be even?" She asked. "You don't like the way I'm handling things with the girls? Fine. I'll make it so you don't have to deal with it anymore!" She raised her hand and brought it down, turning Adrian into a fuzzy white bunny rabbit. She panted, looked down at the bunny, and it started hopping away just as Lenora came into the living room.

"Why were you yelling?" She asked. "Were you and Daddy having a fight? It woke me up!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Helene said. "You can go back to bed. It's all over. Your Daddy and I won't fight anymore."

Lenora looked down at the bunny. "Where did that come from?"

Helene shrugged. "Um, I don't know. But would you bring it here? We don't want it hopping all over the house, do we?"

"Where's Daddy?" Lenora asked.

"Oh," Helene's face became the picture of sorrow. "That fight we were having earlier, it was about Felicity. Your father thinks that I have too much control over you and your sister, so he took her to your grandfather's without asking me because he believed that your grandfather would do a better job teaching Felicity about vampire and werewolf stuff. Isn't that the silliest thing you ever heard?"

"Why _don't_ you let Daddy teach me vampire and werewolf stuff?" Lenora asked. "I really want to learn! Damon's taught me some stuff, but I want to know more you and you can't teach me any of that cause you're not a vampire or a werewolf like Daddy is."

"I just don't want you to do something with your vampire powers that you'll regret doing later. Like killing people," Helene answered. "Wouldn't you feel bad if you killed someone, Lenora?"

"Actually, I thought I did, once," Lenora replied. "When Damon and I were back in time. I got hungry and there weren't any blood bags around, so I went into the woods, and there was a man there. He was dirty and smelly but I ate him. By the time I let him go, he was practically dead. I got scared and I ran to get Damon and tell him what I did, and when we went to the spot where I left him and made him forget what I did, but I didn't do a good enough job and he told everyone that I bit him, so then Damon and I had to leave."

"See?" Helene said. "This is exactly why I want you to be careful when you use your vampire powers. You could hurt someone or be hurt yourself."

"If I had known how to make people forget stuff better, then he wouldn't have been able to tell on me," Lenora pointed out. "And when you're a vampire, you _have _ to hurt people if you're gonna eat. How else do you get blood from someone?"

"You shouldn't get it from someone," Helene told her. "You should take it from bags like I told you. That's the civilized thing to do."

"I don't think talking about vampire stuff is any of your business," Lenora said. "Cause you're not a vampire and you don't know how it works or what it feels like. Daddy and Damon actually _are_ vampires. They know what they're talking about. I'd listen to them before I'd listen to _you_. Where's Daddy? I wanna talk to him."

"I'm afraid you won't be able to," Helene said. "Your daddy isn't able to talk right now. I suppose you could _try_ talking to him. But good luck getting a bunny rabbit to say anything."

Lenora picked up the bunny, who was doing its best to hop away from Helene. "_This_ is Daddy?" She asked. "I don't like him this way. Turn him back!"

"No," Helene shook her head. "Not until he learns his lesson."

Lenora's eyes narrowed. "I hate you!" She yelled at her mother. "I hate you, you're crazy and I don't want to live with you anymore! Now I know why Daddy ran away."

"So you'll do the same thing?" Helene asked. "Fine. Go. But you'll come back. You have no where else to go."

"Yes, I do!" Lenora said insistently. She held tight to the bunny and went to her room, throwing clothes in a bag. "Whatcha doin'?" The cat asked. "Are we going on a trip?"

"No," Lenora didn't look up at him as she continued to throw clothes into the bag. "I'm running away. I don't want to live with my mommy anymore."

"So where are we gonna go?" The cat asked.

"To be with my Aunt Lucy," Lenora told him. "I'm sure that when I tell her Mommy went crazy and turned Daddy into a bunny rabbit, she'll understand and let me stay." She finished putting her clothes in a bag and then grabbed the bunny. "Are you coming?" She asked the cat. He jumped off her bed and came to stand beside her. She shut her eyes, muttered, and in no time at all, heard a yell of surprise from Damon.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" He asked. "And with a duffel bag and animals, no less?"

"I ran away," She said quietly. "I didn't want to live with Mommy anymore cause she doesn't want me to learn how to be a vampire. And she got mad and turned Daddy into a bunny rabbit cause the two of them got in a fight about Felicity. Do you think Aunt Lucy will let me stay here?"

"I don't see why she wouldn't," Damon replied. "I mean, I already think it's okay and the house belongs to both of us. We both have to decide whether you're gonna stay or not."

"Okay," Lenora nodded. "When you ask her, should I come?"

"Sure," Damon nodded. "Why not? And you can even bring your rabbit and your cat with you."

"The rabbit is my daddy, remember," Lenora said as she followed Damon. "Don't forget about that!"

"Oh, no," Damon shook his head. "I don't think that's possible."

Lucy was in her studio. She usually didn't like to be disturbed while she was in her studio, but Damon thought that this was worth making an exception for. He went up to the closed studio door and knocked on it. "Lucy!" He called.

"Is this an emergency?" Lucy called back. "Can it wait?"

Damon gestured for Lenora to come closer to the door. "Mommy turned Daddy into a rabbit and now I don't want to live with her anymore," she called. "Can I stay here?"

Lucy didn't say anything, but they heard a thump and then a few seconds later, the door to the studio opened. "_What_ did you say your mother did to your father?" She asked, looking shocked.

"She turned him into a bunny!" Lenora held him up. "See? He's right here."

"Why did your mom do that?" Lucy asked.

"Cause they had a fight about Felicity," Lenora said. "But that's all I know. Do I have to go back and be with Mommy even though she's insane?"

Lucy sighed. "No, I guess not. It would be better for you to stay here."

"Thank you!" Lenora said, giving Lucy a hug. Then she turned to Damon. "I get to stay!"

"I figured you would," Damon said. "Why would there be any doubt?"

Lenora shrugged. "I would say no, but who knows? So what are we gonna do now?"

"How about we go find you a room?" Damon suggested. "You can put your things away."

"And then I can eat something!" Lenora said. "I'm hungry."

"What kind of hungry?" Damon asked as they headed away from the studio and Lucy closed the door again.

"I'm hungry for waffles," Lenora decided. "Do you have any waffles?"

"I don't think so," Damon replied. "But after you get unpacked and we take care of your pets, we can go to the grocery store."

They found Lenora a room and she magicked a cage for her father while the cat made a space for himself at the foot of Lenora's bed.

"This is a nice place," he said. "I think I'm gonna like living here."

"But you can't talk around Damon or Aunt Lucy," Lenora reminded him.

"Have I _ever_ talked around anyone except you?" The cat asked indignantly. "You don't have to tell me twice."

"I know, but I just wanted to be sure," Lenora told him. "Damon and Aunt Lucy can handle lots of weird things, but Aunt Lucy is too practical to be able to handle a talking cat."

"She's a pretty woman," the cat said. "What I wouldn't give to cuddle up with her..."

Lenora shook her head. "Aunt Lucy is not for you," she said. "You're a cat. She is a person."

"I wasn't _always _a cat," he said.

"But now you are because you've misbehaved and you have to take the punishment," Lenora told him. "You stay in my room."

"Fine," the cat said. "Whatever."

Lenora nodded with satisfaction and put her clothes away. She made one last check on the cat and her father the bunny, and then she and Damon went to the grocery story to get waffles.

* * *

Selina knocked on the door of Adrian and Helene's house. When Helene answered the door, she said, "Is Adrian here? I want to have a talk with him."

"He's not here," Helene said. "He went out with Lenora."

"Oh," Selina nodded. "Well, I know what he did with Felicity and I just...I'm sorry. You must've been really worried when you found her missing."

"Yes," Helene nodded. "I was terrified. I don't think I've ever been so scared of anything in my whole life. Would you like to come in?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. "Thank you." She followed Helene to the kitchen. "Want a drink?" Helene asked.

Selina shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm fine."

Helene sat back down. "When Adrian told me that he'd brought Felicity to his father's, I was nervous too. I mean, I've known Klaus a long time and you have to admit that he's not the most reliable person when it comes to dealing with children."

"You know, ordinarily, I would agree with you," Selina said. "But after Adrian dropped Felicity off with him, he brought her to me, you know, just to tell me what happened, and when I offered to take charge of Felicity, he got really possessive and told me he was perfectly capable of taking care of her himself. He might actually be in it for the long haul this time."

"Even if he is, would you keep a close eye on him?" Helene asked. "Or get my father to? Cause Felicity's really little, and-"

"I understand that you're worried," Selina told her. "But I promise that between Nicky and me, nothing bad will happen to your daughter."


	44. A New Arrival

"You have to give Felicity back," Selina said to Klaus. "Or at least give her to Alistair."

"No!" Klaus shook his head. "Why?"

"Because you getting her was not a mutual decision between Adrian and Helene," Selina replied. "Helene was frightened out of her mind when she woke up this morning and found Felicity missing. Besides, you don't know anything about raising a kid! _I _was the one who raised our kids, not you."

"Not Roxie," Klaus said. "She wouldn't let her near you."

"Even so," Selina glared at him. "Roxie was a baby_ years _ago. You can't say you aren't a bit rusty."

"Roxanne has me take care of Addison sometimes," Klaus reminded her. "And you and Elijah let me watch Laura. I have more experience than you think."

Selina sighed. "If you want to raise her by yourself, it would make me feel a whole lot better if you let me give you a refresher course on certain aspects of childcare," she told him. "Just for my own peace of mind. And Helene's."

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" Klaus said to her. "You think that just because you're a woman, you know everything about children and that automatically gives you the right to take over things. Well, it doesn't, all right? I'm going to raise Felicity just like Adrian asked me to, and you won't hijack her like you did with Lucy so that I never see her again. I won't let it happen. Do you understand me?"

"You think I hijacked Lucy?" Selina asked, frowning. "I did _not_ 'hijack' Lucy. I _saved_ her."

"How did you do that, pray tell?" Klaus asked. "Enlighten me, please."

"You made Adrian and Roxie activate their werewolf genes when they were just kids!" Selina said. "That's too young! What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I didn't want them to end up in the exact situation that Lucy is in now!" Klaus answered. "For a little over a year, Lucy has come to see me every full moon. She's chained herself up in the basement and waited it out and although she's not the sort to get emotional, I know she's miserable and terrified because she had no idea before she was turned what the process of being a werewolf was all about. Did you even take time to teach her?"

"Well, no," Selina admitted. "But I also thought that since she was with Elijah and me, she'd never _get_ into the type of situation where she would have to kill someone and trigger the gene."

"Yet she did, and now she's lost and terrified," Klaus said. "This is your fault. You caused it. Now how do you plan to fix it?"

Selina thought a moment. "My uncle," she said finally. "I could send her to my uncle. I could send her to see Jake. No one knows more about werewolves than he does, and I'm pretty sure he and Lucy have met before."

"That better work," Klaus told her.

"Don't worry," Selina replied. "It will. And I'm sorry about Lucy. I should have been more considerate of your feelings. But it was a tough situation for everyone."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I guess it was."

* * *

Lucy stared up at the big house after she got out of Selina's car. "I know this place," she said.

"You do?" Selina asked. "Good. That makes things a lot easier. Now, what I'm about to suggest is not meant to be a punishment for you or anything. It's meant to help you, because your father mentioned that you've been having trouble adapting to being a werewolf and I thought that since it was my fault you weren't around your father and I didn't teach you anything about being a werewolf myself, I should do something to help you out."

"Okay," Lucy nodded. "What did you have in mind?"

"Do you remember who lives here?" Selina asked. "Or do you just remember the house?"

Lucy shrugged. "Just the house. Why?"

"Cause I have an uncle who lives here," Selina told her. "He's my mother's brother, and one of the first people in our family who was openly a werewolf. Of course he wasn't careful and it got him killed, but thanks to some quick thinking on Alistair's part when your father and I first got together, he's alive again."

"He was _killed_?" Lucy asked, her eyes wide. "Why did that happen? How was he killed?"

"Honestly, I couldn't tell you exact details because my mother was the only one who knew and she didn't like to talk about it much, so I'll just let Jake tell you, okay?" She gestured for Lucy to follow her away from the car and up the steps to the front door of the house, which were actually somewhat steep. When they got to the door, Selina knocked a few times and then she and Lucy stepped back to wait for someone to come answer the door.

A few seconds later, a guy with dark, spiky hair, dark eyes, and tan skin opened the door. When he saw Selina, his jaw creased into a grin, showing perfect white teeth. "Selina!" He said when she ran forward to give him a hug. "Why do you never come and visit me, young lady? I miss you."

She shrugged. "My life is just insane," she said. "I know that's no excuse, and I am definitely not ignoring you because you're related to my mother. I just...I'll try to visit more often, I swear."

"Well, okay," he nodded. "I guess I can accept that." He let her go and saw Lucy. "I know you," he said. "Have we met before?"

Lucy looked at him for a second or two. "Yes!" She nodded. "I think we did! I had this friend awhile back, Jason. He was about to turn for the first time and you helped him through it."

"Yeah!" Jake nodded. "I remember now. Remind me what your name is? I'm sorry I don't remember."

"Lucy," Lucy replied. "And you're my mother's uncle. She told me that before we got here."

They lapsed into silence and stared at each other, then Jake cleared his throat. "I'm sorry," he said. "Where are my manners? You two come in and have a seat in my living room and we can talk about what brings you here."

When they were all sitting on sofas in the living room, Lucy said, "I turned about a year ago. It happened really quickly, you know? Before I was ready for it. And even though I've become a werewolf every month for the last fifteen months, i still don't think it feels natural or comfortable. How can I make it better? Or at least more tolerable? I know it's not possible to make it go away."

"Werewolf problems," Jake nodded knowingly. "I guessed as much." He gave Selina a fake sad look. "People in this family think I'm only good for one thing!"

"Well, I'm sorry," Selina told him. "Next time, I'll try to get help from you about something other than werewolf stuff, but you gotta admit, this _is _your forte."

"It is, isn't it?" Jake asked with a grin. "Anyway, what were we saying? Oh, yes. What can be done to make your werewolf experience a bit easier for you? Tell me, what is a typical full moon like for you?"

"I go to my dad's, freak out, and then after I turn, I spend the rest of the night chained up in the basement so I don't hurt anyone," Lucy said firmly. "I already had issues with my vampire side making me kill people. I don't want to get in trouble for my werewolf side doing the same thing."

"So, every full moon since you've turned, you've locked yourself up in a basement," Jake said. "You haven't gone outside and let yourself run free at all?" He paused and looked confusedly at Selina. "Didn't her father suggest that first thing once he found out she turned? Or did you?"

"Actually, she didn't grow up with her father," Selina said. "She grew up with her uncle and me and her uncle has no werewolf blood in him, so we just raised her like _she_ didn't either. I never thought she'd get into a situation where her gene would actually be activated."

"Well, the more fool you," Jake scolded. "If you have a werewolf gene, you should _never_ just assume it won't be activated because you think you're being careful. I mean, think about your own life, Selina! How your mother kept you under her eye at all times and despite her best efforts, you _still_ almost activated your gene at the age of five. You didn't mean for it to happen, of course. But it did." He turned to Lucy. "And how was yours activated?"

"I killed a guy who was gonna assault me when I was coming out of a jazz club," Lucy said quietly. "I was just defending myself, not doing anything wrong."

"I know," Jake nodded. "And I'm glad you're all right, but a death is a death. The gene doesn't differentiate between whether you killed just for the fun of it or killed to defend yourself, or whatever. Any death at your hands will activate it."

Lucy nodded. "I understand that, but what do you suggest I do to make it better? It's been a year and I still feel miserable every month when I should have adjusted by now!"

"Where do you live?" Jake asked. "Is it in a house, or an apartment where you have a lease, or...?"

"It's a house," Lucy asked. "Why?"

"You should leave your house and go out into the woods for awhile. You'll be less likely to hurt someone if you're in the woods. Go out into the woods for a month, and when the next full moon hits, don't chain yourself up. Just let yourself turn and then embrace what you are. Run around, smell things, eat things, experience things. And then maybe, once you've truly embraced what you are, it will feel more natural to you after that. Now, I'm not guaranteeing this would work, but it's something to think about. What do you say?"

Lucy sighed. "I suppose I could give it a shot. I've always wanted to try painting in the woods. It would give me a completely new perspective on things."

"Well, good!" Jake nodded. "It _should_ make you feel better about things and if it doesn't, at least you'll have gotten away for awhile."

They chatted a little while longer about non-werewolf things and then as Lucy and Selina were getting up to go, Lucy looked at Jake. "Could I come and see you again some time? I really think you could help me. I actually feel a little better about my situation already."

"Sure," Jake nodded. "I'd love to help. Come by whenever you want."

* * *

"So, how are things going here?" Selina asked, peeking in Felicity's room later that day. "Need any help, Nicky?"

"No," Klaus said as he pulled a dress over Felicity's head. Selina looked around. There were dresses stained with spit up all over the bedroom floor. "We're doing fine."

"And even if we weren't," Alistair said, suddenly appearing behind her, "I'm sure one of us would figure out an answer to the problem right away."

Selina shook her head. "Hi, Alistair. What are you doing here?"

"Helping Klaus take care of Felicity, of course," Alistair replied. "At least until I can talk to Helene about what happened. Someone needs to handle the magical side of her. Especially since she's starting to show her powers. That_ is_, if I recall correctly, what inspired Adrian to bring her here in the first place." At that moment Felicity sneezed again, transforming into something Selina didn't recognize and Alistair turned her back without making a production out of it. "There we go," he said with a smile. "Crisis averted."

Selina stood there and watched them for a few minutes before Alistair cleared his throat.

"Selina, do you need something?" He asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "Is there anything I can do for _you_?"

Klaus and Alistair looked at each other and then shook their heads. "No," Klaus replied cheerfully. "As we told you, we're doing fine."

"Well, all right then," Selina nodded. "If nobody needs me, I think I'll go check on Colin now." She turned and left the room. Klaus watched her as she went.

"I saw that," Alistair said.

"What?" Klaus asked.

"The way you looked after her!" Alistair replied. "I know that look. You want her. And let me just say right now...I kept quiet about this for years, but I have to say it: What you two have is not healthy! The whole sex thing, I mean. You have to connect with each other, and share your feelings, and-"

"Yes, yes, yes," Klaus nodded. "I get it. I understand. And let me assure you that at this point I have no intention of going after Selina, because I have Felicity to look after and I want to justify Adrian's trust in me." He looked out the door again. "But on the other hand, just because I'm not going into the candy shop doesn't mean I can't look in the window, Alistair. Do you understand me?"

Alistair smirked. "If you got a megaphone and shouted it from the rooftops, you couldn't be more clear."

"Well, you can't blame me," Klaus said. "I mean, she _is _beautiful. And so..._delightful_. Every single inch of that pearly skin is-"

"She's your brother's wife," Alistair reminded him bluntly.

"Don't think I've forgotten that," Klaus assured him. "But Elijah's not exactly here, is he? And though she's being the grieving widow now, as she should be, sooner or later, she's gonna get bored. And by then, it will have been long enough that if she asks me to keep her company, I will be able to do so without guilt."

Alistair sighed. "That seems like a sound plan. The question is, can you wait that long? Your werewolf nature, the very thing that draws the two of you together, is not known for its patience. _Especially_ if the two of you are in the same house."

"I can keep myself in check," Klaus said. "Watch me."

"What do you say we make a wager on that?" Alistair asked. "Just for a little extra incentive?"

Klaus' eyebrow went up and he grinned. "What sort of wager did you have in mind?"

Alistair grinned. "Let me think," he said. "When I come up with something, I'll let you know."

* * *

"All right," Selina said to Klaus a few days later. "I sent Lucy to Jake's again. I hope it does her some good. Where's Alistair?"

"He went to talk to Adrian and Helene about the whole 'us raising Felicity' issue," Klaus said. "

"I bet he's gonna come here and tell you you have to give her back," Selina said, putting a hand on his arm. "You have to be prepared for that."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. Yet another child being taken away from me by a domineering, know it all woman."

"Hey!" Selina said, taking her hand off his arm and putting both hands on her hips. "I told you I was sorry. What more did you want from me?"

Klaus nodded. "I know, I'm sorry. We said we were letting that go after we addressed it. I just...I really like the idea of having Felicity here."

"Are you using her as a replacement for Lucy?" Selina asked. "Or are you gonna love her for herself?"

"Of course I'm gonna love her for herself!" Klaus said. "Lucy is a completely different situation."

"Well, all right," Selina put her hands up. "I'm sorry."

Just then, Colin toddled into the room, followed by Gregory. Colin held a small cup with a lid on it in his hand. He saw Selina, grinned and held the cup up.

"Colin needs more juice," Gregory said, pointedly ignoring Klaus. "I tried to get some more, but the container was too heavy and I spilled."

Selina sighed and got down on her knees in front of Gregory. "It's all right," she said. "I'm not mad at you. You're being a good brother and doing things for Colin that I should be doing myself. You go into the living room and I'll clean things up in the kitchen." Gregory nodded and gave Klaus a dirty look as he left Felicity's room where Klaus and Selina were picking up all her stained dresses for yet another load of laundry. Selina picked Colin up and then Klaus looked at her. "Gregory really doesn't like me, does he?"

"Don't take it too hard," Selina said, reaching out for his arm again. "Gregory and Elijah were really close and he took Elijah's disappearance pretty hard. Give it time. And remember, you still have Colin and Laura." And eventually you'll have me, she thought to herself.

* * *

That night, Selina decided to go to bed early. She went into her room, got in her pajamas, turned off the light and climbed into her bed, pulling the covers over herself.

"So," a voice said. "Did you have a good day?" She froze and turned over, gasping as she saw Elijah in bed next to her, grinning.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I had a good day, but I think I'm hallucinating. How are you here?"

"I don't know," Elijah said. "You tell me. Is everything all right?"

"Well, yeah," Selina nodded. "Why wouldn't they be? Well, except for the fact that you're gone. That's not a good thing."

The image of Elijah grinned. "You're my brave girl. Some day soon, my father will let me come back to you and things will be just as they were before."

She nodded. "Gregory would really enjoy that because he is _not_ adjusting well to having Klaus here."

Elijah's image frowned. "Niklaus? Why is _he_ here? You're not going to let him in our bed, are you?"

"No!" Selina said quickly. "Adrian and Helene are having problems and asked Klaus to watch Felicity, their new daughter, in case you don't remember, for them. So she, Alistair and Klaus are here and they're raising her and I don't get to help."

"But surely _our_ children are keeping you busy enough?" Elijah asked. "And you haven't forgotten the bakery, have you?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I haven't forgotten the bakery. Or our kids. It's just that, I don't like being left out of stuff. I think it's mean that Klaus and Alistair won't let me help with Felicity even just a little bit because Klaus is still sore about how you and I raised Lucy. I was just doing what I thought was right at the time. I wasn't trying to be nasty."

"I know you weren't," he said. "I know you meant well, and I do believe we did a very good job with Lucy."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "We did."

"Are you going to be able to sleep tonight?" Image Elijah asked.

"I don't know," Selina said. "But I'll try." Then she closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, he was gone.

* * *

The next morning, Alistair came by bright and early. He looked troubled. "Come in," Selina invited him when she opened the door. "What's the matter?"

"Thank you," Alistair came inside. After Selina shut the door, he asked her, "Where's Klaus? There's something I have to tell you and I'd prefer to tell both of you at the same time."

"Is it about Felicity?" Selina asked. "Are you gonna tell Klaus he needs to give her back?"

"I thought that's what I would be doing, but then I actually went to _see_ Helene, to talk to her about what happened, and after that, I'm not so sure sending Felicity back is the best thing for her at this point."

"Why?" Selina asked. "What's happened?"

"Well, when I got to Helene and Adrian's, I found Helene by herself. I asked her where Adrian and Lenora were and she said that they had gone out and she had no idea when they were coming back, but that she was very worried cause she hadn't heard from them in awhile. Naturally, I called Lenora to scold her about making her mother worry, but after I did that, Lenora told me that she'd left because Helene had turned Adrian into a rabbit after a fight they'd had and she refused to turn him back. That the fight between Adrian and Helene had occurred because Adrian finally decided to tell Helene he wanted to teach the girls about their vampire and werewolf natures and that Helene hadn't taken that at all well. And it was after Helene refused to turn Adrian back that Lenora decided to leave and take Adrian the bunny with her."

"Where did she go?" Selina asked. "She's ten. She can't live by herself."

"Apparently, Damon and Lucy offered to take her in," Alistair replied. "And I suggest the three of us hold onto Felicity for dear life."

"Wait," Selina said. "So you're suggesting we raise Felicity together? And I just saw Lucy, but she never said anything about Lenora moving in with them. Who'd have thought?"

"Alistair and_ I _will raise Felicity, remember?" Klaus corrected. "You already have enough kids to raise without adding another one to the list."

Selina looked skeptically at Alistair. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll watch him like a hawk."


	45. Looking For Love In All the Wrong Places

The next morning, the alarm that awoke Selina seemed to be more shrill and whiny than usual. She sat up, still feeling groggy and tired. When she tried to get out of bed, she stubbed her toe on the edge of the bed and fell down.

"That is not a good omen for today, is it?" She said to herself. She finally managed to get out of her room and into the hallway, where she saw Alistair. "I've already gotten Gregory his breakfast," he said. "And Colin. Why don't you go to the kitchen and get something for yourself?"

"Sure, why not?" She nodded. "I could use some coffee. I know I look like hell."

"You know I would never say that, but I can tell you haven't had the best night," Alistair told her. "Did you sleep much?"

Selina shook her head. "I had this very vivid dream about Elijah and it was really hard to go to bed afterward. If I got a half hour max, I would consider myself lucky."

She then stumbled into the kitchen. "Well, good morning," Klaus greeted her. "Are you all right?"

Selina nodded. "Bad night. No sleep. Give me coffee."

Klaus nodded and poured her some coffee. She took the cup and made her way to one of the chairs, but when she tried to sit in it, she missed it by a few inches and fell hard on the floor instead. Coffee went all over her nightgown and she let out a growl. "Shit," she whispered angrily. "I knew it! I knew today would be a shitty day!"

"Are you all right?" Klaus asked. "Here, let me help you up." She held out her hand and he pulled her up to a standing position. "Ow," she muttered. "I think I broke my tailbone. Could you check?"

Klaus nodded. "All right." He put his hand in the center of her lower back and eased it downward over her butt, even giving it a gentle squeeze. "Does that hurt?" He asked her.

"No," Selina shook her head. "It feels fine, actually. More than fine." She turned around. Their faces were close to each other. "I know that we have to be careful about how we handle each other because of certain things, but thank you for making sure I was okay."

Klaus leaned forward a little bit. "Of course," he whispered. She could feel his breath on her lower lip. "Any time at all." They leaned forward and were just about to kiss when they heard a whimper. They pulled apart and turned, seeing Laura, her face red and puffy and tears streaming from her eyes. Klaus hurried away from Selina and scooped Laura up. "Why are you crying, pet?" He asked. "What's the matter?"

"I hitted my head!" Laura cried. "Would you kiss it and make it better?"

"Where did you hit it?" Klaus asked. Laura put her hand at the center of her forehead. "Right here."

Klaus held her close and kissed her forehead. "There," he said. "It's all better."

Although there were tears in her eyes still, Laura grinned. "_Very _better," she said. "Thank you!"

Selina made a noise in her throat and muttered something under her breath while she observed the scene with a dirty look.

"Did you say something?" Klaus asked her. "I didn't hear."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I didn't say anything. I think I'll go get another cup of coffee now, since I'm _wearing_ the first one. At least it didn't burn me when it spilled."

Klaus nodded and turned his attention back to Laura. "You're welcome," Klaus her dark hair and then letting her go. She ran off and Klaus turned. "It's all right, Alistair. You can come in now. Selina and I aren't doing anything."

"Well, good," Alistair nodded. "Cause if Laura hadn't stopped you, I would have." He looked at Selina. "Unless, of course, what you were planning to do was something that _you_ wanted, then in that case, you could have just told me to leave."

"It was okay," Klaus told him. " She fell on her ass and she asked me to check if it was all right."

Alistair looked at him skeptically.

"He's right," Selina called. "I've been exceptionally clumsy this morning. I missed the chair completely. It was all my fault. You don't have to worry about us."

"All right," Alistair nodded. "I trust you."

After Selina finished her coffee, she went to her room and sat on her bed. The feelings that had welled up in her when she saw Klaus give Laura the kiss were a surprise. They'd made her...angry? No, that couldn't be. Laura was just a little girl. And when little kids are hurt, naturally, they run to someone they care about to make things better. It was a perfectly normal occurrence. There was nothing to be jealous about.

And yet...it wasn't fair! Here she was, a year and a half after Elijah had been taken away from her, being good, not doing anything that would have been considered unseemly for a widow when she'd been alive, doing everything right...and what did she get in return? Nothing. She had to sit and watch while everyone else got Klaus' attention but her, and _she_ deserved it most! She pulled off her nightgown, balled it up, slammed it down hard on the floor, then growled as she pulled clothes off hangers in her closet, put them on, then went back to the kitchen to grab her keys. She needed to go out.

"Where are you going, Mommy?" Laura asked.

"I have to go see Aunt Anna," Selina told her, trying to seem cheerful. It wasn't Laura's fault that she was the mini me who was presently making her mother very frustrated.

"Can I come too?" Laura asked eagerly.

"No," Selina shook her head. "You have to stay here. This is something Mommy is doing by herself. But I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Okay," Laura said, her lip jutting out a little. "Goodbye." She hugged Selina hard and it took awhile before she let go. Selina felt herself start to soften. She sighed, patted Laura on the head, then got in the car to drive to Anna's.

* * *

"Well, well, well," Stefan said when he opened the door. "Look who decided to stop by."

"Is Anna home?" Selina asked. "I want to talk to her. It's an emergency."

Stefan gestured in the house. "Sure, come in," he said. "And of _course_ it's an emergency. When do you ever just stop by to say 'Hello'?"

"I suppose if you tell me where Anna is, Nicky and I could work out a dinner date sometime," Selina said impatiently. "Now, where's Anna?"

"She's not here," Stefan said with a grin. "Maybe I can help you. What's your problem?"

"Never mind," Selina replied. "It's not so bad. I think I'll just go back home, and if you could call me when Anna gets back, I'd appreciate it."

"Hold on," Stefan put a restraining hand on her arm. "Not too long ago, you said that whatever you came here to say was some big emergency and now it's 'not so bad'. What changed?"

"I found out Anna wasn't here," Selina replied, moving his hand from her arm.

"Why don't you try telling _me_ your problem?" Stefan asked. "I might be able to help."

Selina shook her head. "I'm not so sure you would. It's just a problem about me and Nicky and I'm not sure that I'm comfortable talking to you about that."

"Well, you came here for help, I'm offering help." Stefan shrugged. "Do you want to take it or not? Tell me your problem. Give me a try at least."

Selina sighed and collapsed on the sofa. "I have a feeling I'm really gonna regret this, but...okay, here it goes: this morning, Nicky and I almost kissed and while the feelings were still kind of raw, Laura came in. She was crying because she'd hit her head. She asked Nicky to kiss it better and he did, and then I felt all jealous. And that's _ridiculous_, cause she's three and a half and I'm a grown woman. I should _not_ be jealous of a little kid! I'm above all that!"

Stefan nodded. "But tell me something," he said. "When was the last time you had sex?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Selina asked.

He grinned. "Just answer the question."

"Okay," Selina sighed. "A year and a half-ish. I haven't been with anyone since Elijah went away."

Stefan nodded. "Uh-huh. A year and a half is a long time for you to go without, isn't it?"

Selina shook her head. "Not necessarily. There was a forty-four year break between the time Nicky's brother Aleksandr left me and I got together with Nicky. Compared to that, a year and a half is nothing."

"But during that forty-four year break, did you live with a man you wanted to sleep with but have to stay away from due to the fact that you were in mourning for his brother while your lookalike daughter bonds with said man and gets all the affection you want? That's something different from last time."

Selina nodded. "So what do I do? I don't want to be jealous of a three-year-old, but I don't think I can handle being in my house and watching Laura and Nicky being all affectionate and loving with each other. It might make me snap. So what should I do?"

"The most logical answer would be for you to have sex," Stefan said. "Wouldn't it?"

"Well, yeah," Selina nodded. "I know that. But it's too soon for me to sleep with Nicky and Elijah's gone, so..."

"Do they have to be your _only_ options?" Stefan asked. "Would you consider being with someone else?"

"It depends," Selina said. "What do you mean?"

"You could try having a one-night stand," Stefan said. "You and I could go out and find you someone, you could go home with him, have sex, and then your itch will be scratched without the worry that you slept with Klaus too early."

"I don't know..." Selina said. "I haven't done that in years, and..."

"Picture Klaus and Laura this morning and then answer me again," Stefan replied.

Selina nodded and shut her eyes, a replay of the scene with Laura and Klaus playing in her head. She felt her hands tighten and ball into fists. She opened her eyes. "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to give this a try," she said. "When do you want to pick me up?"

* * *

"What are you smiling about?" Anna asked Stefan when she returned. He was sitting on the sofa looking smug.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call myself a boy scout, but I _have _done a good deed today."

"Oh, really?" Anna asked, sitting next to him. "What did you do, exactly?"

"Selina came here looking for you cause she was having some big emotional inner conflict about Klaus and since you weren't here, I helped her with it, and I'd say I did a pretty good job," Stefan said.

"Just what was the problem?" Anna asked. "Tell me. I'm interested."

Stefan sighed. "Apparently, Selina's getting a little antsy since she hasn't had sex since Elijah, you know, went away, and that was a year and a half ago. Now, she and Klaus are living in the same house and Selina's starting to feel stuff for him again, but she's not taking action because of the whole 'grieving widow' thing, so this morning, Laura came in with a head bump, asked Klaus to make it better, he kissed her on the forehead, and that made Selina jealous."

"And when she came here and you offered to help her, what exactly did you suggest?" Anna asked.

Stefan shrugged. "Nothing too radical. I pointed out that Elijah and Klaus didn't have to be her only sexual options and that given the circumstances, a one-night stand could be the perfect solution. I'm gonna pick her up around eight and we're gonna hit a few bars so she can find someone."

"Seriously?" Anna asked and punched him on the shoulder. "You're suggesting that _she, _of all people, should have a one-night stand? Why would you do that? Are you _insane_?"

"Why is that a bad idea?" Stefan asked. "She used to do it all the time. You both did!"

"Well, yeah, but that was when she hated men!" Anna said through her teeth. "That was when she hated them so much that she didn't even think about getting attached to them, so one night-stands were easy and her only option. Well, besides Nik, I mean. Now she doesn't hate men, or the world, so a one night stand will be impossible. She gets too attached to men for that. That was the whole reason why she was Lonely Heart in the first place! She'd get really attached to guys and then they'd screw her over and it made her so upset she ended up wanting to just kill them all! This is gonna fail so badly!"

"I don't know," Stefan shook his head. "You might be wrong. She seemed pretty desperate. I don't think she'll be picky."

"Fine," Anna said. "You two can do your thing, but I'm coming too. I want to be there when this all crashes and burns and I'm proven right."

* * *

"Wow," Selina said when they all walked into the bar later that night. "It's been so long since I've done this, I'll probably do it wrong."

Stefan smirked. "It's impossible to do wrong. All you have to do is get a few drinks in you and dance on the bar. And then one of the guys throwing dollar bills at you will eventually invite you out to his car, where the two of you will have sex in his backseat before you put your panties back on and go your merry way. That's what used to work for you, wasn't it?"

"I guess," Selina replied. "I don't really remember." She sighed and looked around. "What should I do now?"

"Whatever you want," Anna said. "Would getting a drink help?"

Selina shrugged. "Possibly. And I _can_ drink now. Which is one of the few things that has made the last year and a half bearable for me." She went to sit on a barstool and ordered a rum and Coke from the bartender.

Anna gave her a wink and then she and Stefan retreated to a nearby table to see what would happen next. They didn't have to wait long. A guy in a leather jacket with heavily gelled hair sat next to her. "Hi," he said with a grin.

"Hi," Selina replied, sucking the extra Coke from her straw.

"You know," he continued, "You're a very pretty lady. You here with anyone?"

"I came here with some friends, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I left without them," Selina told him.

He grinned. "Well isn't that nice?"

Selina cleared her throat. "So what's your name?"

"Jeff," he said.

"What do you do, Jeff?" She asked.

"I'm a mechanic," he answered. "I'm a Pisces, my favorite color is blue, I like long walks on the beach...anything else you'd like to know?"

She giggled. "It seems like you've done this before."

"Yep," he nodded. "I have. A buddy of mine tried to make me do speed dating last week."

Selina giggled. "Oh, god. Are you serious? That must have been _so awkward!" _She paused. "I should probably tell you my name, shouldn't I?"

"No," Anna said. "No, you shouldn't." She looked at Jeff. "Excuse us for a moment, would you?"

Looking a little shocked, he nodded and Anna led Selina away.

"What are you doing?" She asked. "This isn't how this works! You're not supposed to be bonding with him!"

"But Anna, he is a complete stranger!" Selina said. "I can't just get in a car with a complete stranger, take off my panties and let him do me! That's nuts!"

Anna nodded. "I knew you'd say that and that's exactly why I told Stefan this whole 'one night stand' idea was a bad one. You're not like you used to be. You don't hate men anymore. You love them. You need their affection...the whole reason why this happened is because you want Nik's affection and he's not giving it to you, remember?'

"But I can't go home," Selina said. "Because Laura is at home and she and Nicky are probably curled up on the sofa together, hugging and watching movies and stuff."

"Well, all right," Anna said. "If you're so desperate to avoid Laura, we'll go somewhere until her bed time and then I'll take you home. But when I do, you and Nik have to talk, cause that's the only way you'll feel better."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I suppose. Sorry for making you and Stefan come all the way out here for nothing."

"Oh, I wouldn't say it was for nothing," Anna told her. "I won a bet and Stefan looks like he's having a pretty good time." They looked over and saw that Stefan was on his second drink. "If you and I go now," Selina told Anna. "We should probably take Stefan with us and drop him off at home."

They waited until Stefan finished the drink and then took him out to the car and they went home. He went inside and then Anna and Selina drove away, spending a couple of hours (even though they didn't need all that time) walking around downtown, and then Anna took Selina home, where they met with Alistair who told them Klaus had been out for a while, but would be back soon.

* * *

"What's the matter with you?" Klaus asked when he got home and found Selina on the sofa with a sleeping Colin in her lap. She looked sad.

She sighed. "I did something stupid, Nicky. Something very stupid."

"Well, what did you do?" Klaus asked, coming to sit beside her.

Selina shifted Colin a little so she could sit up straighter. "When Laura bumped her head this morning and you kissed it, that upset me. Because it's been a year and a half of nothing for me and I _want_ something! I want you to kiss my owies and make everything better, cause now, nothing else works! I even let Stefan take me to a bar tonight so I could find someone to have a one night stand with. Can you believe that? I was_ that _desperate for affection." She rolled her eyes. "I have no idea what I was thinking. And it's not like it worked anyway."

"You should have talked to me before now," Klaus said. "You know I won't refuse you. And you've been a good wife, mourning Elijah being gone and all, but the fact of the matter is, we have no idea when he's gonna come back. And you can be as noble as you want, but sooner or later, you have to start thinking about yourself. You know you can't get affection from a man who's as good as dead, but any time you want, I'm here. All you have to do is ask."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "But based on how I did tonight, I don't know if I'm ready yet. For sex, anyway. I'm rusty from being on the shelf for a year and a half. But do you think that you and I could...maybe start over? Do the things we didn't do last time that have absolutely nothing to do with sex? Like, watching movies and having dinner together and stuff like that? Then maybe once we do that, I'll feel more comfortable with the whole sex idea between you and me. Is that okay? Please tell me that's okay."

"Sure," Klaus nodded. "If it means I get to be near you, I'm willing to give it a try."

* * *

"Why are we going into the woods?" Damon asked as he, Lucy and Lenora pulled into clearing in the woods at the beginning of February and got out of the car. "Is this some thing for your art? You gonna pick up a bunch of pine cones and leaves to paint or something?"

"No," Lucy said. "Mom took me to see her uncle Jake, who's like a werewolf genius or something and I told him that I was having trouble adjusting, so he suggested that I go live in the woods for a month or so, so that when I turn, I can just, you know, do what I need to do as a wolf without hurting anyone, and it's possible that once I do that, I'll feel better."

"Her uncle Jake?" Damon scoffed. "He gave you advice and you're actually taking it? Why?"

"Because Mom says he knows what he's talking about and I don't know what else to do," Lucy said. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yes," Damon nodded. "How can you believe anything your uncle says. He's a Lockwood. All they do is spout bullshit. And you have no idea what you're doing. He could be telling you anything he wants, including stuff that wouldn't be of help at all and you wouldn't know the difference."

"Why would he lie to me?" Lucy asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

Damon shrugged. "Don't ask me to explain how a Lockwood's twisted mind works. I wouldn't be able to tell you."

"Well, thanks for the warning," Lucy told him. "But I'm going to choose to trust that what he told me might actually be helpful and if you don't like it, you can go home. No one said you had to stay."

"I don't want to go home," Damon told her. "I'll stay."

"Fine," Lucy nodded. "Why don't you start getting things out of the trunk of the car, then?"

"Fine," Damon nodded and started unpacking things, muttering words under his breath that Lucy pretended not to hear.

Lenora watched as he pulled out the tents. "Those are what we're supposed to sleep in, right?"

"Yep," Damon nodded. "Since your aunt was nice enough to drag us out here for a whole month, this is what we get to sleep in."

"I don't want to," Lenora decided. "I want something better."

"Yeah, me too," Damon replied. "But this is all we have."

Lenora grinned. "Don't be so sure about that." She waved her hand at the pile of fabric and metal poles and it slowly morphed into a motor home.

"That's better," she said. "I would have zapped us up a house, but that wouldn't be very convincing in the middle of the woods, would it?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "But I like this much better than the tents." He grinned. "Thank you for using your powers for good instead of evil."

Lenora grinned. "It's my pleasure."


	46. Photograph

"Okay," Lucy said. "Let's set up the tents!"

"We don't have tents anymore," Lenora said. "I made us a mobile home. See?"

Lucy sighed. "What am I supposed to do with that? There's no room for me to paint anything!"

"I could make another tent for you to paint in," Lenora told her. "Damon and I want to keep the mobile home."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Lucy said. "If you don't want the tents, it might be best to make us a house. It would be better for all your pets, don't you think, if they had more space?"

Lenora thought a moment. "Maybe," she relented. "But won't people wonder about a random house in the woods?"

Lucy shook her head. "Not necessarily. But if they do, we can cross that bridge when we come to it. However, I strongly doubt that anyone else will come poking around here since this is such a desolate place."

"So you want me to make a house now?" Lenora asked.

Lucy nodded. "Yes, please."

Lenora rolled her eyes and, slowly but surely, with a jerk of her hand, the mobile home morphed into a small but tidy house.

"Much better," Lucy said with satisfaction. "I approve."

Lenora took charge of her pets while Damon and Lucy took turns bringing the rest of the things in.

"So this is where we're gonna be for a whole month," Damon mused, looking around the place. "I suppose it could be worse."

"I did my best to make the hous comfy," Lenora told him.

"It's not about the house," Damon told her. "The house is great. It's just that...we're here in the woods, away from civilization for an entire month. It's not something I'm used to."

"I'm not used to it either," Lucy said. "I didn't choose to do this because I thought it would be some sort of picnic for any of us. But it will really help me at least gauge what I should do with my lycanthropy. If we do this for a month and it doesn't help me, we'll go back home and neither of you will have to be subjected to it again."

"And what if it works?" Lenora asked. "Will we just live here forever? I don't know if I like that. How am I supposed to make friends if no one ever comes around here."

"I'm sure someone will come at some point," Lucy assured her. "It's just that with this first time, I would feel a lot better if the amount of people who showed up was small. I would rather have just one or two more deaths on my conscience than a whole bunch."

"Well, I hope so," Lenora said. "But at the same time, I also hope people come soon."

* * *

And people came sooner than either Lucy or Lenora expected. One night a few days after they arrived in the woods, Lenora was awakened by the sound of voices nearby their house, practically in their backyard, in fact. Lenora sat up, rubbed her eyes and then got out of bed to walk to the window. She pulled the curtains aside and stared out at the widow. She saw a group people in flowing robes with drooping hoods trekking past the house. She stared at the procession for a few seconds and then put on a pair of sneakers and a coat, and sneaked out of the house. It took awhile, but eventually she caught up with the procession, ending up next to a young boy who brought up the rear.  
"Hey," she said. "What's going on? Who are you people? You're not supposed to be here."

The boy looked up at her and put a finger to his lips. "Shhh!" he said, barely making a sound. "We're not supposed to talk."

"What are you _doing_ here?" Lenora repeated. "What's going on?"

"It's a ceremony," the boy said. "This is a special year. For us, every February during a leap year is special, so we celebrate it the entire month. And now that you know, you need to go away. The elders don't like humans at the ceremonies."

"But I'm not human," Lenora shook her head. "I'm something else. I won't tell you what until you tell me what _you _are. Tell me now!"

Just then, the procession stopped. One of the people stepped out of the line and went down it, her hood falling back from her face and down her back. "All right," she said as she walked down the line. "Who's speaking and why? You know there's no excuse for that. This is a time of reverence. Not a time to chat." She walked down the line, but everyone stood in silence until she reached the end, where Lenora and the boy were. She looked between the pair of of them, then put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Daniel," she said to him, her dark eyes boring into his. "Who is your friend?"

"I don't know," he said. "I told her that she shouldn't be here, but she just kept following me!"

"All right," she said and looked at Lenora. "Young lady," she said. "This is a very important procession you're disrupting. Are you going to leave quietly, or am I going to have to make the decision for you to go?"

"I wasn't trying to interfere with anyone!" Lenora said earnestly. "I just wondered what you were doing here. Are you witches?"

"Who wants to know?" The woman asked.

"I'm one too," Lenora said. "It's okay. I won't put you on a stake and burn you or anything."

"Wait," the woman put her hands on Lenora's shoulders and peered at her. "Have I seen you before? You look familiar to me."

Lenora cleared her throat. "Well, if you're witches, my grandma Astrid is on the council and my Mom Helene and my Daddy just brought home the criminal that got turned into a cat. My name is Lenora."

Recognition flashed in the woman's eyes. "I'm Theresa," she said. "And the boy you're standing next to is my son, Daniel. We're holding a ceremony here. It will take all month."

Lenora sucked in her breath. "Is that necessary?" She asked. "Can't you postpone it, or go somewhere else?"

"No," Daniel shook his head. "Lenora, this is where we've _always_ had it. Why should we leave?"

"Cause if you don't, you could be in danger," Lenora told the group. "I'm here with my Aunt Lucy, and she turns into a werewolf once a month. We came here because she was told that really giving into her werewolf nature was the only way she'd be able to accept the way she is. That means that when the full moon comes, you all could be hurt and I don't want that to happen."

"Thank you for the warning," Theresa said. "But we have to stay. Even with your aunt around, that is a risk we're willing to take."

"We came here because she thought we'd be by ourselves," Lenora said quietly. "If we'd known you'd be coming, _we_ wouldn't have come. We can leave, you know. I'll talk to Aunt Lucy about it tomorrow, since we still have time before the full moon."

"Where are you staying?" Theresa asked. "I didn't see any tents around or anything."

"I made us up a house," Lenora told her. "I don't blame you for not knowing it's here, cause it's invisible. That was my idea. I thought people would have weird reactions to a single house around here."

"That's a smart idea," Theresa said approvingly. "You can never be too careful, even though it's not the burning times anymore."

Lenora sighed. "Well, I suppose I should let you get back to your procession and go home myself," she said. "My aunt doesn't exactly know that I'm gone."

She was about to go when Daniel came and put a hand on her arm. "We're on our way to set up camp a few clearings over," he said. "Maybe, once you've talked things over with your aunt, you could come visit us sometime?"

* * *

Alistair looked around Felicity's room and sighed. It looked so much like a normal baby's room. Nothing to distinguish it at all. He thought about how to remedy that and then it came to him. He went into Klaus' room and looked through a box Klaus kept in the closet. Toward the bottom was a small picture album full of yellowing photos covered by plastic. He looked at each one of them and then finally picked one out of Klaus and Selina looking particularly happy, cheek to cheek and grinning widely at the camera. It was dated January 1st, 1929.

He grinned at it and took it to Felicity's room, placing it on her changing table for a moment before picking her up out of her bassinet and carrying her over to the rocking chair, and sitting her down in his lap.

"Look at this," he said, showing her the picture. "This is your Grandma and Grandpa. See how happy they are? They were a lot, toward the end, even if they won't admit it out loud..."

_"Hey everybody!" Selina said as she stood on the bar, a bottle of whiskey in hand. "Who wants to see me dance again?" Everyone cheered. She laughed and the bowler hat that had been perched jauntily atop her dark head fell to the floor as she began to shuffle on the bar. "Hey, Jimmy!" She said to the piano player. "How about you give me a bit of the Maple Leaf Rag?" Jimmy began to play, and Selina danced, but then she misstepped and nearly fell off, but Klaus caught her first._

_"Careful you don't hurt yourself, love," he said. "If you're hurt, I won't have anyone to kiss at midnight." She kissed him. "Even if I _was_ out of commission, it'd never be bad enough that I wouldn't kiss you, Nicky."_

_Just then, the clock chimed midnight and as everyone cheered and the strains of Auld Lange Synge echoed through the bar. Selina clung to Klaus, her head resting gently on his shoulder, both because she wanted to dance with him and because she was almost too drunk to stand on her own._

_They danced for a little while, and then Klaus felt a hand on his shoulder. "I think you should take her home," Alistair told him. "It looks to me like she's had enough for the evening."_

_Klaus looked down at Selina, who was dozing on his shoulder. There was even a little drool on his jacket, which he deftly wiped off. "It's times like this that I remember she's just a baby," he commented. "It's strange. Usually she's so energetic, but she's slowed down lately. I've actually seen her _sleep._ That's not normal for her, Alistair."_

_"I don't think it's something you need to worry about, though," Alistair told him. "Maybe she's just decided to calm things down after all these years. A person can only do the sort of things you two have done for so long before they tire of them and need to do something else."_

_"Not me," Klaus said. "I like things just the way they are, and that will never change. And I want Sera to be the one to do them with me. She's one of the few who could actually keep up with me. But I suppose if she decides she wants something else, I'll just have to let her go, won't I?" _

_"Maybe that would be kindest," Alistair said. "Now, what do you say we get her home and put her to bed?"_

"Your grandmother is a good woman, Lissy," Alistair said. "And I was right about her. She changed. She grew. And although he'd never admit it out loud, I'd say that over time, your grandfather has too."

* * *

"What do you think we should do for Roxie's birthday this year?" Selina asked Klaus. "It's almost that time."

"Well, we could show up at her front door and tell her we're living together again so that she can draw what conclusions she will," Klaus suggested. "That _would _be the best present we could give her, and it wouldn't cost us anything."

"Do you really think it's a good idea to tell Roxie about our arrangement this early?" Selina asked him. "I mean, you didn't exactly move in here for romantic purposes, did you?" She paused. "Just why _did_ you move in here?" She asked. "I mean, I assumed at first that it would be because needed my help with Felicity, but now you have Alistair here and you won't let me do a thing!"

"You're grieving over the loss of my brother," Klaus reminded her. "And so am I. It's a lot easier to grieve with someone then by yourself."

"Okay," Selina nodded. "I guess I can accept that. But I still don't think it's a good idea to Tell Roxie about us unless something actually happens."

Klaus lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean '_unless_ something happens'? Don't you mean '_Until_ something happens'? Because you know something will. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, or even next week. But at some point, it will. Because no matter how rational we try to be, eventually, it will come back to us that we're animals inside and one morning we'll wake up together and realize that we couldn't hide that fact anymore."

Selina gazed at him and tried to control her breathing. "So?" She asked. "What's your point?"

Klaus shrugged. "Just that you might want to get some other pants that don't fit you so snugly if you want to continue this charade of normalcy between us. That's all." He made his way toward the stairs to the second floor in a way that almost imitated a super model's walk. Selina kept her eyes on his backside as he progressed toward the stairs. When he was gone, she yelled out, "Well, I'm not the only one that needs to go pants shopping, Buster! All your pairs must be too small too! If we're gonna go pants shopping, we might as well go together!"

* * *

After taking care of Felicity, Klaus took the picture of him and Selina that Alistair had left behind to the living room for her to look at.

"Look what I found in Felicity's room," he said, plunking the picture down in front of her. "Look like anyone you know?"

Selina picked it up. "It's us. We looked really happy." She looked at the back of the picture. "Oh, look. New Year's, 1929. The beginning of the end."

"It wouldn't have had to have been the beginning of the end," Klaus said, sitting down. "The only reason why it was was because you left!"

"Well, Mikael was after me," Selina replied. "What did you expect me to do? Stay and just wait to be killed?"

"That wouldn't have happened," Klaus told her. "We would have stayed away from him. You would have been okay. And you wouldn't have had to have so many years alone, either. I know being on the run would have been hard for you, but were all those years you spent by yourself really a better alternative?"

"Only in that I wasn't constantly looking over my shoulder for a man with a stake," Selina answered. "That's all." She paused. "Besides, by '29, I'd basically healed up emotionally. I wasn't bad anymore. I thought you were getting bored with me."

"You were exactly the way you are now," Klaus said. "And do I like you?"

Selina looked up. "I don't know. Do you? Or do you like Felicity and Laura better? You pay a lot more attention to them."

"Not because I _want_ to!" Klaus cried. "Not because they mean more to me than you do. They don't! I just...I remember why you've been alone for the last year and a half and I don't want you to feel like I've been pushing you the wrong way. I've been waiting for you to make the first move."

"You_ have_?" Selina asked in surprise. "Really?"

Klaus nodded. "It's been _very_ difficult."

Selina smiled a little. "Well, if you want me to make the first move, would you like to watch a movie tonight, after the kids have gone to bed? Just you and me?"

Klaus nodded. "I would love to."

* * *

It was really hard for Selina to get through the rest of the day, knowing that she would be in very close proximity to Klaus that night.

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" she said to herself as she washed the dishes. "I'm acting like a silly school girl! He's just a _man_, for heaven's sake! Not some super being who is paying me some great honor by allowing me to be near him! And it's not like I haven't seen everything he's got, so that's not a surprise. I just haven't seen it in awhile. And besides that, I won't even see it tonight, so what's the point in getting myself all worked up? I must be out of my mind!"

"Hey!" He said. She turned around quickly, hitting him on the shoulder with a wooden spoon. "Don't sneak up on people like that!" She snapped. "You could get yourself hurt! Wear a bell, why don't you?"

"You're certainly in a bad mood for someone who will be going on a date tonight," he said.

"It's not a date," Selina corrected. "It's just you and me watching a movie together, that's all."

"What's the difference between two people watching a movie together and a date?" Klaus asked. "Just so I know ahead of time and don't make any faux pas."

"The difference between a date and two people watching a movie is...I don't know, where your hands are, I guess." Selina through her hands up. "I have no idea!"

"Why are you so agitated?" Klaus asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

Selina took a deep breath and did her best to calm herself down. "Like what?" She asked, her expression becoming nonchalant. "I'm not being agitated. You must be imagining things."

"Maybe," Klaus nodded. "Like you and me sitting next to each other in a dark room, watching a movie, and a scary part happens. You're absolutely terrified, so you reach over and take my hand. No, wait. Since you're _really_ terrified, you grab me and hold me tight, burying your face against my chest." He reached over to tuck a strand of hair that had fallen into her eyes behind her ear. "I move some of your hair out of your eyes." He stepped forward and gently pulled her to him. "I take you in my arms and tell you that it's just a movie and everything will be all right..."

Selina felt herself start to relax against him, her eyes closed for a second or two before she opened them again and gently pushed him away. "Stop that!" She said. "Behave yourself. Stop making me feel all squishy inside! It's too early!"

"Stop making you feel squishy?" Klaus asked, an eyebrow rising. "What does that mean?"

"You know..." Selina said, flushing a little. "Squishy, like..."

"Oh, I know," Klaus nodded, giving her a wink. "I'm making you hot, aren't I? Shame on me. I guess I'll stop." He let her go and stepped away from her. "See you tonight," he said with a grin as he left the kitchen. Once he was gone, Selina stared down at the soapy dishwater in the sink, and then sped out of the kitchen and right to her bedroom. She began going through her clothes and throwing them onto the bed. She needed a really hot outfit to wear tonight. To make Klaus feel just as hot as he made _her_ feel.

* * *

But nothing felt right, even after she'd tried on every dress she owned. Finally, she put on a black Def Leppard concert tee and a pair of jeans and pulled her hair back from her face with a jaw clip. Her feet were bare, and her toes were painted with dark purple polish. She took a deep breath and sprinted for the stairs, taking them down two at a time. She went to the room where they kept the movies and picked out a few options before heading back to the living room to put them by the TV. Then, when it got closer to the time she and Klaus were gonna start the movie, she made popcorn and then put it on a TV tray near the sofa. She sat down and put one leg over the other, and as Klaus came in, she grinned at him.

"Hi," she said. "I made popcorn. You want some?" She held out a handful.

Klaus looked down and shook his head, grinning. "Hand me the bowl, would you?"

Selina put the pile of popcorn from her hand on a TV tray and handed him the bowl. He picked out a smaller handful than the one she had. "I wonder," he said. "Can you catch popcorn in your mouth?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. I've never tried. Sorry I'm not more dressed up, by the way. I tried on every dress in my closet and nothing seemed to feel right."

"Oh, it's not a problem," he told her. "I think you look very sexy."

Selina grinned. "Well, good. That _was _what I was going for, you know. Not in a 'I want you to rip my clothes off' sort of way, but just a 'I want to feel attractive to you, so this is what I'm wearing to do it' sort of way."

"Well, you pulled it off," Klaus replied. "But it looks like I'd have to _peel_ that outfit off of you rather than rip it off. It seems too tight for ripping. Is it tight?"

"Not in an uncomfortable way," Selina replied. "But I can't say it's roomy."

Klaus nodded. "Now that we have that cleared up, open your mouth."

She opened her mouth and he threw a piece of popcorn at it, but he missed and it hit her cheek instead. She picked it up off the carpet and popped it into her mouth. He tried again, hitting her in the nose.

"All right," he said when he had the third piece. "One last time before we give up on this for today. And this time, stop twitching. Just _relax_."

Selina nodded and took a deep breath. "All right," she said, putting her hands on her knees. "Bring it on." He threw it and it almost missed her, but she moved her head to the side just in time to catch it. "Yes!" She cried after she swallowed. "I did it!" She picked a piece of popcorn from her pile and held it aloft, a twinkle in her eye. "You want to take a turn now?"

"Not now," Klaus said, shaking his head. "Maybe later. Let's see what movies you picked. Or do I need to go downstairs and get some?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I picked out a few options. See if you like any of them and if you don't, you can go pick out some of your own."

Klaus looked through the pile and picked one. "_The Thin Man_," He said appreciatively. "Good movie."

"I know, right?" Selina grinned. "I see a lot of Nick and Nora in you and me, especially when we had Rusty. It's why I call you Nicky, you know. Like Nora does."

Klaus just grinned, popped the DVD in, turned off the lights and went to join her on the sofa. "So how do you want to do this?" He asked. "Do you want to just sit?"

"No," Selina said, getting up. "I don't see why we can't stretch out. You go first. Get all nice and comfy on your side."

Klaus climbed onto the sofa and lay on his side, facing the television, where the movie menu was flashing on the screen. Selina grabbed the TV remote and started the movie.

"You really think the two of them are like us?" Klaus asked Selina as the camera trained on a bar where it zoomed toward a man shaking a cocktail shaker. "The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time."

"Nick Charles sound like anyone _you_ know?" Selina asked.

"What are you implying?" Klaus asked, his arm sneaking around Selina's waist.

"I'm just implying that you have style," Selina said. "And that you like to drink."

They watched a little while longer and were compelled to converse again as a cute young woman in a hat resembling the one Peter Pan wore and a long dark coat entered the bar. Nick Charles gazed at her as she approached their table. His look didn't escape his wife, Nora. "Pretty girl," she said dryly. Nick agreed. "She's a nice type."

"Really?" Nora asked. "You got types?"

Nick grinned. "Only you, darling. Lanky brunettes with wicked jaws."

Selina laughed. "What's _your_ type, Nicky?"

"I would say it's you," he said. "Do you feel the same about me?"

"Well, after a lot of soul-searching," Selina replied. "I think I'd have to agree. No one else makes me feel the way you do, Nicky."

After that, they lapsed into silence to continue watching the movie, with Selina occasionally getting popcorn for either Klaus or herself. Then, to Klaus' surprise, he felt Selina take the hand he had around her waist and slowly move it upward to rest on her breast. "Surprise," she whispered.

Klaus laughed a little as he moved his hand around a little. "It certainly is," he said. "You wouldn't, perhaps, be willing to take off your top, would you? I could get a better grip that way."

"No," Selina said. "Don't be greedy. You'll get more soon. You just have to be patient."

Klaus sighed and moved his hand. "I suppose you're right," he said. "But that doesn't mean it will be easy."

Selina nodded. "I know," she said. "Not for me either. I still think about Elijah a lot. I do. And the dreams are hard. Cause it's like he's with me, but he's not, you know? If I even move just a teeny bit, it all pops like a bubble. My brain is really messing with me."

Klaus didn't know what to say to that, so he stayed silent until the movie ended. After Selina put the disk away, she said, "Thanks for doing this with me, Nicky. I had fun. I hope you did." Her voice was quiet.

"Yes," he nodded. "It was nice. And not only because you let me touch you. The company was good."

Selina grinned. "Yeah, I thought you'd like that. That's why I did it." She yawned. "I think I need to go to bed and you should too. No doubt our little charges will have us up bright and early tomorrow."

"Children have so much energy, don't they?" Klaus observed. "Where do you think it all comes from?"

"I have no idea," Selina shrugged. "But it makes me feel old, you know. I never feel old unless I'm with one of the kids. That's when I remember how old I am."

Klaus burst out laughing. "Please," he said. "You're just over two-hundred. You're a baby yourself. I'm in a house full of babies."

"Well, maybe," Selina nodded. "But at least I can take care of myself and don't need you to dress me and bathe me and whatnot."

"I _enjoy_ bathing and dressing you," Klaus replied immediately. "It gives me great pleasure. You have _no_ idea."

"I _was_ married to you for quite awhile," Selina grinned. "I think I have _some_ idea." She giggled nervously. "We need to stop talking about this," she said. "Or neither of us will be able to get to sleep."

"Or we will," Klaus replied. "But we'll have very, _very_ good dreams."

Selina grinned. "Well, goodnight, Nicky."

Klaus inclined his head. "Goodnight, Selina." She left him and he went to his room, undressed and pulled his cool sheets over himself, still trying to calm down from the fact that she let him touch her. She was a naughty little thing when she put her mind to it. Grinning, he shut his eyes, hoping that at least in his dreams, he'd get to see all of her again.


	47. Saving Lissy

"Hey," Selina knocked on the side of Felicity's open bedroom door. "That was Stefan on the phone, Nicky. He wanted to know if you were still up to going out today."

Klaus looked at her and then looked down at Felicity, who stared up at him with blue eyes that seemed to take up at least half her face. "Could you watch her for a second?" He asked Selina. "And hand me the phone?"

Selina smirked. "You're gonna cancel another one of your manly bonding trips to hang out with Felicity, aren't you?" She grinned. "Stefan's not gonna like that, you know. This'll be the third one you've skipped out on."

"Oh, I'm not skipping out on it," Klaus told her. "I'm aware that I've not been the best friend I can be as of late, so..."

"So what are you gonna do?" Selina asked.

"I'm gonna ask him if he wouldn't mind my bringing Felicity along with us," Klaus said. "Given the circumstances, he'll have to understand."

"You're seriously suggesting taking Felicity on an outing with you and Stefan?" Selina tried her hardest to keep a straight face. "I don't know about this." She handed the phone over. "But good luck anyway."

Klaus handed Selina Felicity and took the phone, and Selina followed him, grinning as she listened to him try and get Stefan to allow him to bring Felicity with him on their trip. But Stefan wasn't having any of it.

"She's a baby, Nik," Stefan pointed out. "She's just gonna get in the way."

"But she's adorable and I'm watching her," Klaus said. "I can't just leave her."

"Isn't Selina there?" Stefan asked. "Why can't _she_ watch Felicity?"

"Because Adrian asked me too," Klaus pointed out. "That's why."

"She's made you soft," Stefan told him. "Spending so much time with a little kid has made you soft. Fine, whatever. Stay at home with her, since that's what you want. I don't care. Owing to the fact that you skipped our last two trips, I have no idea why I thought this one would be different."

Selina heard that and she snatched the phone out of Klaus' grasp. "No, no, Stefan!" She said. "He'll come, don't you worry. He'll come and I'll take care of Felicity. Everything will be all right. Okay, see you in a few minutes. Uh-huh. Goodbye."

After a lot of talk, Selina finally convinced Klaus to leave Felicity at home with her while he went out with Stefan. "I know it's gonna be hard to let her go," Selina told him. "But she'll still be here when you come back. It's not like she's gonna disappear."

Klaus was still hesitant. "I don't know," he said. "Are you sure you'll be able to-?"

"Yes!" Selina interrupted in exasperation. "Nicky, I've taken care of kids before, okay? I know what I'm doing, so stop stalling and when Stefan gets here, you're gonna go, all right?"

"Fine," Klaus rolled his eyes. "But if you so much as take an eye off her for a minute-"

"I won't! I won't!" Selina assured him. "Geez, what is your problem? You're very high strung lately."

"I'm not acting any different than you did when Adrian was a child and you wouldn't let me near him," Klaus told her.

"Well, unlike you, I had a _reason_ to be a little nervous," Selina replied. "You weren't always the most attentive person. If I hadn't been paying attention, you might have dropped poor Adrian on his head or something." She paused. "_I_, on the other hand, feel perfectly capable of watching her without allowing anything bad to happen. So stop worrying and just go."

Klaus gave her a dirty look, but when Stefan arrived, looking much more cheerful once he was told that Klaus would be coming with him but Felicity wouldn't, left with him without protest.

Once he was gone, Selina took Felicity into Colin's room and the three of them played together for awhile before Laura knocked on the door. "You're playing with the babies!" She observed.

Selina nodded. "I am. What's up? Are you okay?"

"Where'd Uncle Klaus go?" Laura asked.

"He went out with Uncle Stefan," Selina said. "They decided they wanted to have some grown-up fun by themselves."

"Oh," Laura said, looking sad for a little while. Then her eyes lit up. "When will he be coming back?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. But you should be happy for him that he gets to have time with his friends away from home. He shouldn't have to spend his whole life looking after you every minute."

"Why not?" Laura asked. "We play a lot and he doesn't mind."

"Well, that's because he loves you," Selina told her. "But part of loving someone is making sure they're allowed to have their own interests and be themselves. Like, what do you want to do with yourself? Is there a hobby you'd like to try doing?"

Laura thought a moment. "I wanna dance!" She exclaimed.

"Okay," Selina nodded. "Let's go dance, then." She picked up Felicity in one arm and took Colin's hand with her other hand, then led them out of his room with Laura following behind.

When they reached the living room, Selina set Felicity down in the baby chair that had a permanent place next to the sofa, then, she went to the CD player and put in a CD of her favorite peppy songs. As "Jump" by the Pointer Sisters filled up the room, Laura, Colin and Selina began to dance around, and even Felicity was happily wiggling around in her chair.

As the songs changed, they kept going, and during "Walking on Sunshine," they were so involved that they didn't notice someone come in the house. Helene saw what they were doing and just paused, watching them until one of them noticed she was standing there.

"Oh," Selina flushed a little. "Hi. Sorry we kept you. How long have you been standing there?"

Helene grinned. "Not long," she said. "But don't worry. I've been very entertained watching you. You look like you're enjoying yourselves."

"So what brings you here?" Selina asked. "Did you come to see Felicity?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind having a look at the baby my husband took away from me," Helene said, getting on her knees beside the baby chair, taking Felicity out of it and cuddling her close. "How are you, honey?"

"What Adrian did was wrong, but it wasn't exactly right for you to turn him into a rabbit either," Selina said. "Just what were you planning on doing with him after that?"

Helene shrugged. "Nothing more. I just wanted to be able to keep an eye on him. He doesn't always have the best judgment."

"Your father is living here too, you know," Selina told her. "He's helping manage all of Felicity's powers. Nothing is being left out."

"My father is here?" Helene asked. "Right at this moment, he's here?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "He's out having lunch with your mom. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Helene said. She had been looking nervous before, but now her facial muscles relaxed. "Listen," she said. "I don't know why my father let Klaus keep Felicity, but don't you think he's wrong? I'm asking you this mother to mother."

"Well, I admit that it wasn't Adrian's smartest idea, but you _did_ turn him into a bunny for no good reason, so I don't know how kindly I feel toward you right now," Selina said.

"Do you at least feel kindly enough to allow me to right a wrong and take Felicity home with me?" Helene asked. "You'd really be doing me a favor and we wouldn't have to tell anyone."

"Even if we didn't, I think Nicky would notice Felicity was missing and he loves her too much to just let her go," Selina said. "Look, he's not here right now, but if you just waited until he got back from where he is, I'm sure he'd be willing to talk it over. Or at least say 'not a chance in hell' to your face."

"Oh," Helene nodded, looking up. "I see. So you won't let me take Felicity home with me?"

Selina shook her head. "No. She's staying here until your father and Nicky get back and we can have a calm, rational discussion about this. Now put her down, and go, if that's all you came here for."

But Helene just sat there, clutching Felicity, a crazy look in her eyes. "I don't think so," she said. "If you want her, you'll have to come and get her yourself. Go on. It shouldn't be difficult for you, should it?"

Selina frowned, her lips becoming a thin line. She approached Helene, but as she reached out for Felicity, she felt an explosion of pain in her head.

"Oh, god!" she cried, clutching at her head as she rolled up in a ball on the floor. She let out a yell and Laura got down on her knees beside her mother. Both Colin and Felicity were in tears. Helene looked down at Selina and smirked. "Well, since you're clearly incapable of caring for my daughter, I think I'll take her now. Goodbye!" She left, the door slamming shut behind her.

"Mama!" Laura cried, putting her hands on Selina's shoulders. "It's okay, Mommy. You can get up now!"

"No, I can't!" Selina told her. "It hurts too much!" Tears were streaming from her eyes. "Laura, make it stop hurting!"

Laura stared down at her mother uncertainly, then said, "Just a minute!" She went to her room and grabbed her toy lion off of the shelf and came running back with it. "Here!" She said. "Take this!"

Selina shut her eyes tight against what pain that lingered and pushed herself up on one elbow, staring at the lion. "Okay," she said weakly. She reached out for the lion, took it away and held it close to her. "I feel better now," she said. "Thank you, honey."

"That lady got Lissy!" Laura pointed out.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I know. And I'll call your Uncle Klaus to get her back. But let's wait a bit. Mommy hurts and we don't want to wreck Uncle Klaus' good time. He's probably having lots of fun."

* * *

"So," Klaus said to Stefan as dangled his fishing pole off the side of the boat. "Did you catch anything yet?"

"No," Stefan said irritably, slapping yet another mosquito off his arm. "No, I have not caught anything, and I don't want to. Why are we even doing this? It's so boring! I could be snacking on some beautiful women right now, but instead, a bunch of stupid mosquitoes are snacking on _me_! I want to go home!"

"You know, Stefan, I really think it wouldn't hurt you to just slow down and relax a bit," Klaus said. "Have you ever tried that?"

Stefan sighed deeply. "No."

"Well, I think you should, really," Klaus said. "It's really helped _me_ out.

Stefan scoffed. "Yeah. Helped you become a loser! What happened, Nik? You used to be fun!"

"Well, you and Anna start having children and then you tell me how wild you're still able to be," Klaus told him. "Family life changes you."

"Speaking of children," Stefan replied, "Maybe I _should_ have let you bring Felicity. She'd be the only active thing here. At least looking after her would have given us something to do!"

"Well, all right," Klaus told him. "I'll make a note to bring Felicity next time. But I'm having a good time and it's your own fault if you aren't."

Suddenly, a fish bit the end of Stefan's line. "Wow!" Klaus said. "Looks like you've got one! Hold onto it tight and pull it up!"

"No, thank you," Stefan said. "Honestly, what's the point?"

"You know," Klaus put his pole down. "I think I've had enough of your attitude. You want to be done with this? Fine. Why don't you just _go_?" On the last word, Klaus managed to push Stefan out of the boat and into the water with a splash. "I hope you can swim," he said. "Otherwise, you're in trouble."

Stefan thrashed around in the water and then surfaced, spitting water out. "Eww!" he said. "That's disgusting! Of course I can swim! Why wouldn't I be able to?"

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know. Not everybody can."

"But it was a risk you were willing to take with me," Stefan nodded. "Well, that's nice." He paused. "Seriously. Can we go now?"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Let's go." He pulled Stefan back into the boat and they rowed back to the dock, before heading back to the car. Klaus turned on his phone and saw that he'd missed a call. He retrieved it and heard something very alarming.

"Klaus, it's Alistair. I know you're having fun, but you need to get home as fast as you can. Helene used magic to incapacitate Selina and then took Lissy. Selina is recovering and I've been trying to talk some sense into Helene, but so far, I've not been successful. I need all the help I can get."

Klaus finished listening to the message and turned to Stefan. "We have to go home," he said. "_Now_."

* * *

"So what happened here?" Klaus asked Selina. He was sitting next to her on the sofa, her head resting on his shoulder, her legs resting across his lap.

"I-I don't really remember," Selina told him. "I was dancing around with the kids, you know, we were having fun and then Helene came.

"She wanted to see Lissy," Laura piped up. "Then she made Mommy hurt and took Lissy away."

"Is that what happened?" Klaus asked Selina. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I'm okay."

"Well, good," Klaus nodded. "Because I'll need someone to help me go get Lissy. Unless you don't want to. I could always ask Alistair if you don't feel you're strong enough."

"No," Selina shook her head, sitting up a little quicker. "I can do it. It's okay. I'm fine!" She stood up. "Let's go get Lissy!" she said. "Let's not wait another minute!" She paused, looking guiltily down at Laura. "I mean, let's call Alistair and see if he's having any luck with Helene."

Klaus called Alistair, who told them that things seemed all right for the moment and that it wouldn't hurt them to wait a day. Just to give Helene a chance. It was possible that she wouldn't do such a bad job with Felicity after all.

"Of course he'd say that," Selina groaned. "He's her father. It's natural for him to take her side!"

"He's not staying at the house to try and talk some sense into her, and after what you've been through today (and _only_ because of that) I guess we have no choice but to do what Alistair said and Let Helene keep Lissy for the night. But after we've rested, we'll get her tomorrow, I promise you," Klaus told her.

"Really?" Selina asked. "Good. Because I have a bad feeling about what will happen if Lissy stays there too long. You didn't see the look in Helene's eyes when she was here earlier today, but she looked _crazy._ Normal people do not look like that."

Klaus sighed. "It's no good worrying about it because it will stop you from sleeping and you're gonna need all the strength you can get to face Helene tomorrow."

* * *

Early the next morning, Klaus' cell phone rang.

"What?" He asked groggily.

"I know it's early," Alistair said. "But I just wanted to warn you that I've made no progress with Helene. In fact, she's gotten _worse_. Felicity was really fussy for most of the night last night, and then Helene went to check on her and I didn't hear another peep out of her after that. At first I just thought it was normal, but then went I went to check on her in the middle of the night, I saw that she was crying her eyes out, and that she probably had been all night."

"If she had been, why hadn't you heard it?" Klaus asked.

"I don't know," Alistair told him. "Helene must have put a silencing spell on her so she wouldn't have to hear the crying. I feel ill. I should have paid more attention."

"Well, is she all right?" Klaus asked. "Is there anything wrong with her?"

"No, not health-wise. She looks healthy to me," Alistair said. "But just think of what would have happened if I hadn't come in to check on her!"

"Worrying won't help anything," Klaus said. "Selina and I will be at Helene's as soon as we can and we will get Lissy out of there."

"Yes," Alistair agreed. "And then I'll call Astrid and see what can be done about Helene. She hasn't broken any actual rules per se, but she needs to be punished somehow. In a way that will make her remember never to do this again."

"Who were you talking to on the phone?" Helene asked Alistair.

"What? Oh, no one," Alistair said. "Just seeing if it worked is all."

Helene grinned. "Oh, come on, Daddy. Do you think I'm stupid? Don't lie to me."

"That spell you put on Lissy," he said. "Take it off right this minute!"

"If I do that, how are we supposed to have peace and quiet around here?" Helene asked.

Alistair shook his head. "You should be ashamed of yourself," he said. "You malign Adrian for taking Lissy away, saying that he's doing something that's only going to make life worse for her, but when you have her again, you take away her only way of communicating. She could die, Helene! Do you not want her? Is that it? Because if you don't want her, then give her back to Klaus and Selina. They love her."

"I don't _want_ them to have her," Helene whined, stamping her foot. "She's _my_ baby!"

"Well, then you better start caring for her as a mother should," Alistair said severely. "Will you take care of her? Be honest."

They sat in silence and then Helene looked up at her father. "No," she said. "I won't."

"Well, I guess you'll be giving her back to Klaus and Selina then," Alistair said simply. "I'll go get her. They'll be here in a bit."

* * *

It was Helene who answered Klaus' knock. She and Klaus and Selina stared at one another for a second or two, then quite suddenly, Selina punched Helene in the face. Helene fell to floor for a second, but as Selina and Klaus were walking away toward the kitchen where Alistair was with Felicity, Helene sat up and shot another brain pain spell in Selina's direction. Selina fell to the floor again, but this time, she worked through the pain and managed to get to her feet, shooting forward to pin Helene to the ground, hissing and sinking her fangs into Helene's neck. It was Helene's shriek of pain that brought Alistair and Lissy to the front door.

"Oh, my god," Alistair said, handing Felicity to Klaus and pulling Selina off his daughter. "What's happened? What's going on?"

"She bit me!" Helene said, pointing at Selina and looking hurt.

"Oh, I don't need to say the whole _list _of things you did to deserve that!" Selina shot back. "I'm only glad Lenora wasn't around so you could hurt her as much as you did Lissy!"

"I didn't do anything to Lissy," Helene said through her teeth. "I was just making sure I had a good night's sleep for once."

"When you have kids, it's _never_ about you!" Selina said. "Especially if what you do for yourself comes at the kids' expense. You aren't fit to take care of Felicity or anyone else and you will be_ damn _lucky if you see her again at all!"

Helene was muttering to herself and raised her arm to cast another spell, but Alistair put a hand on her arm. "Don't even think about it," he said. "Now, go clean yourself up and then we're going to go see your mother about how to deal with you. After you take the spell off Lissy, of course." Resentfully, she did, and then Alistair herded Helene away, leaving Selina, Felicity and Klaus alone by the front door.

"Well," Klaus cleared his throat as he snuggled Lissy against him to shush her. "I guess that's it then. We can go now. I won't get to do a thing."

"You held on to Lissy," Selina said. "That's something."

"Are you all right?" Klaus asked her. "Helene _did_ hurt you again."

"But this time I barely notice it," Selina said. "I guess it's the adrenaline and all."

"I think I'd like to go home now," Klaus said, clutching Felicity tight.

Selina nodded. "Me too. Let's go."

They got in the car with Selina in the driver's seat and Klaus in the back with Felicity on his lap. When they got back home, Klaus tucked Lissy in bed and she fell asleep almost immediately.

Klaus stayed by her bed, looking down at her. "How could Helene mistreat such a sweet little girl?" He asked Selina. "If Alistair hadn't been standing right there, I would have snapped Helene's neck as soon as we walked in the door!"

"I know," Selina said, putting her arms around him. "I know you would."

Klaus held her to him. "You know," he said, "When Alistair called yesterday and told me you were hurt, I felt terrible. Even though Helene did it, I felt like I had allowed it because I wasn't there." He kissed the top of her head.

Selina sighed. "Don't blame yourself, Nicky. You didn't know. You and Stefan were having fun. You have the right to do that."

Klaus smirked. "Actually, only _I_ was having fun. Stefan's not the biggest fan of fishing."

"Fishing?" Selina asked in surprise. "Really? I never would have guessed that that would be something the two of you would do together."

Klaus grinned. "Well, it was."

Selina stood in his arms for a few seconds more, then looked up at him. "So you're just gonna stay in here until Lissy wakes up?"

"Yes," Klaus said. "I am."

"Well, all right," she said. She got on her tiptoes and kissed him deeply. When they pulled apart, he looked at her in surprise. "What was that for?" He asked.

She grinned. "Just because." She strode to the door, paused and turned around. "See you in a bit, Nicky."


	48. The Early Birthday Surprise

Selina went into her room and found Laura taking shirts and pants out of her dresser drawers and carrying them out the door. "Where are you going?" She asked. "You have to _ask _Mommy before you can play dress up with her clothes!"

Laura just looked at her and burst into giggles. She continued walking toward Klaus' bedroom with the bundle of clothes and when she reached it, he was standing by the door. He took the pile from her and said, "Okay, darling. Now keep bringing me your mother's clothes until there aren't any left in her dresser."

"Okay!" Laura nodded and scampered off. Then, Klaus noticed Selina standing there in the hallway with her arms crossed. "Hello, love," he said without a hint of shame. "What brings you by my room?"

"I saw that Laura had some of my clothes and I wanted to see where she was taking them," Selina told him. "Nicky, what are you doing?"

"Well," he answered, "With Laura's help, I'm moving your things into my room. I figured that since you kissed me and let me touch you that it was about time."

"But I didn't agree to this!" Selina protested. "You might have at least asked me first."

"Why?" Klaus asked. "You would have said 'no'."

"I might _not_ have!" She replied. "_If_ you discussed it with me. Look, I know I'm not exactly in the position to play the grieving widow anymore, but..." She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"Don't you think it's time you moved in with me?" He asked her. "Come on. In your heart of hearts, you know it is." He grinned.

Selina shrugged. "Yeah, okay. What the hell. I'll move in with you. But I will _not_ be sleeping with you. Just let me make that clear right now. We will be in the same bed, but we will _not_ be having sex."

"Of course," Klaus inclined his head slightly. "Whatever you say, love."

Selina nodded. "And don't you forget it!"

* * *

Selina let Laura help her make brownies that day, _including_ working the mixer. That was a mistake. Laura was delighted with how the mixers twirled and at one point she pulled them out to watch them spin, causing batter to go all over the kitchen and all over Laura and Selina.

"Oh, god!" Selina's mouth twisted as she looked down at herself.

"Sorry, Mommy," Laura said quietly. She then scampered out of the kitchen before Selina could say anything. Then, Selina went out of the kitchen herself and found Alistair, who'd taken possession of Elijah's office.

"What happened to you?" He asked when he saw her.

"Accident with the mixer while I was making brownies," Selina explained. "I'm gonna go clean myself off. Could you listen in case anyone needs anything?"

"Sure," Alistair nodded. "You go and wash up. You're a mess!"

Selina nodded and ran to the bathroom in her and Klaus' room, turning the shower on and stripping off her clothes.

Shortly after that, Klaus got back from the library. He'd gotten some books on tape for Lissy. He brought them into her room and checked his watch. It was time to feed her. He picked her up from her crib and gave her a bottle, but as he was burping her, she threw up all over his shirt. With a groan, he resolutely finished burping her and then put her back in her crib, before going to his and Selina's room to explain to her what had happened. He heard the shower running and grinned to himself. He stripped off his clothes and then took them into the bathroom, where he stood outside the shower until the water turned off. Then, he dropped his clothes to the floor so that all of him was visible. When Selina opened the shower door, she started. "Oh, my god!" She said, covering up her eyes before moving them a bit and looking at his naked form through a crack between her fingers. Finally, she put her hands down. "What brings you here?" She asked. "Did you want to surprise me when I got out of the shower, you sexy man?"

He grinned. "Maybe," he said and kissed her. "You could think that. It would be much more romantic than the truth, which is that Lissy threw up all over me and I wonder if you'd be kind enough to wash my clothes?"

"You poor guy," Selina said. "I bet that was unpleasant, but anything that gets you out of your clothes is all right with me." She kissed him again and he pulled her closer. The kiss deepened until Selina finally had the sense to pull away. "I think it's about time we stop that since we're both naked," she said. "Let me get my robe on and you can give me your clothes so I can throw them in the washing machine."

"Okay," Klaus replied, giving her a puppy dog face.

"Oh, come on!" Selina said. "What's that face for? I've moved in with you, remember? You'll see me tonight!"

"Will you be naked?" Klaus asked.

"Not the whole time, but for a little while I will," Selina replied. She headed into the bedroom and put on a robe. Klaus followed her. Selina felt him behind her and she turned. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "But this is my bedroom too, remember? And you're standing in front of the dresser."

Selina looked down. "Oh, sorry!" She said and moved away.

Just then they heard a voice call out, "Mom! Are you here?"

Klaus and Selina looked at each other.

"Oh, my god," Selina said.

"Roxanne," they whispered at the same time.

"What are we gonna do?" Selina asked. "It's too early for her to find out about us!"

"I don't think so," Klaus said. He dressed quickly and left while Selina gathered up Klaus' laundry and slapped a hand to her forehead. This was gonna be interesting.

* * *

"Roxanne!" Klaus said jovially as he approached the front door where Roxie stood carrying Joey with one arm and holding onto Addie's hand with her other.

"Daddy?" Roxie frowned. "What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting to see you?"

"Why not?" Klaus asked. "Of course your mother and I are gonna plan your birthday party together." He looked at Joey. "Well, hello, there," he said with a grin. Joey just gazed at him for a second and then turned his head to bury his face in Roxie's shoulder.

"Was it something I said?" Klaus asked.

"He's shy," Addie explained. "And quiet."

"Oh," Klaus nodded and picked her up. "Just like you, right?"

"No," Addie shook her head. "I'm _not_ quiet! I'm _loud!"_

Klaus grinned. "You certainly are, my dear.

Addie lifted her arms and Klaus picked her up. They went into the living room and sat down.

"So," Roxie asked Klaus, "What are you doing at Mom's?"

"I might as well tell you the truth," he said. "I've had to move in temporarily."

"Why?" Roxie asked. "You doing something to your house that makes it uninhabitable temporarily?"

"No, not exactly," Klaus shook his head. "Your brother and Helene have been sparring verbally over how to raise Felicity and Helene. He wanted them to know more about their vampire and werewolf sides and Helene nixed that cause she thought it would scar them for life or some nonsense like that. Anyway, One night a short time ago, he brought me Felicity and asked me to raise her because he thought that was the only way she'd have a balanced upbringing."

"Wait," Roxie said, blinking repeatedly. "Adrian asked you to raise Felicity? Is she here right now?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "And I thought that it wouldn't hurt to have your mother's childcare expertise, so that's why I brought Felicity here. It's a lot easier to move myself into her house than to have her move all the kids to my house."

"I can't believe Adrian did that to Helene," Roxie said. "First he left her and now this? I bet she was pissed."

"Indeed," Klaus nodded. "Mad enough to turn him into a bunny rabbit. Naturally, that made him unable to care for her. Helene tried to come here and take Felicity back, but when she did, we all discovered that Felicity wasn't receiving the best care under Helene's watch, so we took her back and now Alistair and Astrid are figuring out how to deal with their daughter."

"Wow," Roxie sucked in her breath. "Bad time for everyone. Is Mom here?"

"Yeah," Selina said, coming into the living room. She was now fully dressed. She sat down and looked at her daughter. "So," she said, "What is it you want to do for your birthday? It's almost that time. Can we get you anything for a present?"

Roxie looked back and forth between Klaus and Selina. "Are you two together?"

"No!" Selina shook her head. "We're just two people sharing a house and raising our kids together."

Roxie cocked her head. "Really? Mom, you can tell me the truth. I'm not stupid."

"Fine," Selina said. "Your father was sneaky and moved my stuff into his room today. But that doesn't mean anything's gonna happen."

Roxie's eyes widened and she looked at her father. "The two of you are _sleeping _together? That's the best birthday present ever!"

"You know," Selina said, "I have to say, Roxanne, that I'm a little concerned about how you're so invested in your father's and my relationship."

"Why?" Roxie looked offended. "Is it_ wrong_ for me to want my parents back together? I never thought you should have gotten divorced."

"Yes, we should have!" Selina said. "We were totally dysfunctional when we divorced. It was the right thing to do at the time. So, to change the subject: Roxanne, what would you like for your birthday?"

Roxie shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe dinner and a cake and for you two to come together."

Selina nodded. "That's doable. I can whip up something for you easily."

Roxie grinned. "Thanks!"

Just then, Laura came into the living room. "Okay, Uncle Klaus!" She said brightly. "I got all of Mommy's clothes into your bedroom!"

Selina stood up. "Just a minute," she said and ran to her room to see what Laura had done with the stuff from her closet and hang it up so it wouldn't wrinkle more than it probably had.

When she got back, she walked straight into a fight between Addie and Laura. Roxie was trying to pull Addie off Laura, who was pushing, pinching and scratching with ferocity.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Selina said, pulling her daughter off. "That's enough, Laura Christina. Go sit in your time out chair!"

"But Mommy-" Laura began.

"No buts!" Selina said sharply. "I don't care what you think Addie did to you. We don't hurt people, especially if they're our family members. We talk to them like reasonable people."

Laura watched as Klaus pulled a sobbing, wounded Addie into his lap. Then, big tears fell from Laura's eyes and she turned and ran off toward her room.

The living room lapsed into silence for a few minutes and then Selina and Klaus looked over Addie.

"She'll be all right," Klaus told Roxie afterward. "Just some scratches and bumps is all."

"What does that girl have against Addie anyway?" Roxie asked, cuddling a sobbing Joey to her and trying to calm him. He seemed to have been frightened by the fight. "Every time they're in the same room, she's always picking a fight!"

"I'm sure there's a reason for it," Selina assured Roxie. "Laura doesn't act out most of the time."

Roxie sighed. "I think we'll go home. If I think of anything else I want for my birthday, I'll give you a call."

"All right," Selina nodded. She got up and followed Roxie to the door. "I'll see you on your birthday, if not before. And I'm _very_ sorry about Laura. I don't know what's gotten into her."

"It's okay, I guess," Roxie said. "It's not like Addie won't heal. I just don't like watching her get hurt."

"Well, no mother does," Selina assured her. "Your worrying just proves you love her."

Roxie nodded and she led her twins out of the house and to her car. Selina waited about five minutes more, then she said to Klaus, "I think I'll go talk to Laura."

"No," Klaus said. "How about _I _ talk to Laura? Because it was clearly something _I _did that set her off and I want to make it right."

Selina nodded. "Okay," she said. "You talk to her. I'll stand outside the door and listen."

With the plan in place, they walked down the hall to Laura's bedroom door, which was just slightly ajar.

"Laura," he said. "Can I come in?"

"Is my time out over?" Laura called. Her nose sounded stuffy. She must've been crying.

"I want to talk to you about what happened between you and Addison," Klaus said.

"Okay," Laura said. "Come in."

He went inside, still leaving the door open for Selina to hear, and sat down next to Laura, whose nose was red and face was wet. "So," he said. "What happened? Why did you hurt Addie?"

"Cause she was hugging you," Laura said. "She was sitting on your lap. _I_ do that!"

"You could have asked to sit on my lap and I would have let you," Klaus said. "Then nobody would have had to get hurt."

"It's not _fair_!" Laura burst out, starting to sob again. "She has her own daddy at home. Why does she have to take mine?!"

"But I'm not your daddy, pet," Klaus said. "Your daddy is somewhere else."

Laura nodded. "I _know_. But I miss my daddy a lot and when it's just you and me, I can make you be my pretend daddy. But when Addie is here and you're paying attention to her, I can't. I don't like having to share."

"But you had to share your father with your brothers," Klaus reminded her. "How is sharing me with Addie any different?"

"Because Colin and Gregory are _boys,"_ Laura explained. "Since I was the only girl, I was special. When you're with Addie, I don't feel special."

"Come here," Klaus said. He took her in his lap and put his arms around her. "You're very special to me," he said. "You're my partner in crime. I wouldn't have gotten your mother's things into my room if you hadn't helped me."

At that, Laura grinned. "When Mommy saw, her face was funny!"

Just then, the door opened and they saw Selina with tears threatening to fall out of her eyes. "Oh, Laura, I am _so_ sorry!" She said, hugging her. "You've been doing so well, it never occurred to me that you missed your daddy that much. It's my fault. I should have talked to you about it before you got worked up enough to hurt Addie."

"Do you miss Daddy too?" Laura asked her.

She nodded. "Of course I miss him too. Every day."

"When is he gonna come back?" Laura asked.

Selina shrugged. "I don't know, sweetie. I don't know."

* * *

That night, after putting on her pajamas and brushing her teeth in one of the other bathrooms just so she had time to mentally prepare herself, Selina took a deep breath and went into Klaus' bedroom.

"Good evening," he said from the bed. He was wearing his boxers, but Selina could tell he was just itching to remove them.

"Good evening," Selina said, climbing in bed next to him. "Crazy day, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. He looked down at her attire, which was a pair of pink pajamas with white bunnies on them. "Look," he grinned. "You have little Adrians all over your nightclothes."

Selina and Klaus looked at one another for a moment and then simultaneously burst out laughing.

"What are we laughing for?" Selina asked, trying to become sober after a few seconds. "That's a horrible thing to joke about!" But she couldn't stay serious and ended up cracking a smile almost immediately.

"Come on," Klaus said, leaning forward so that they were almost nose to nose. "It's a _little_ funny."

"Well, okay," Selina agreed. "But just a little."

Klaus tilted his face so his and Selina's lips were touching and soon they were kissing deeply. He lay her back against the bed, his lips blazing a trail down her neck. Suddenly, she felt his fingers slip under the waistband of her pajama pants.

"Wait!" Selina said, abruptly pulling out of the kiss. "What are you doing?"

"I was just checking to see if you were wearing panties," he said. "Are you? Please say 'no'."

"Yes," She nodded. "I can't believe you still have it in you to do something like that! I'm wearing pink pajamas with bunnies on them for crying out loud. _How_ is that a turn on for you?"

"Truthfully," Klaus said, kissing her again. "I've completely stopped paying attention to them. I've just been pretending you're wearing nothing at all."

Selina sighed as his fingers crept deftly under her pajama top. "Of course you are," she said, her arms going around his neck as she kissed him again. "Oh, Nicky, I missed this!"

He whispered in her ear. "I could show you what you've missed even more if you let me take your pants off at least."

"No," Selina shook her head. "Not now, at least. Be patient. The time will come."

Klaus let her go and grinned down at her. "You are a wicked tease, you know that?"

Selina grinned back. "It's the thrill of the chase, Nicky. I'm just trying to keep things interesting for you."


	49. Presents and Promises

Felicity had trouble sleeping that night, so Klaus sat up with her. She managed to fall asleep a couple of times, but it was never for very long. At sunrise, when Selina came to check on Colin, he asked her if she'd watch Felicity too. He had an errand to run.

"So early in the morning?" Selina asked. "Where are you going?"

"Just out," He said curtly. "It's none of your concern where I'm going or what I'm doing."

"Well, all right," Selina said, her hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I was just a little curious. Excuse me."

Klaus just glared at her, shook his head and then left the house.

He arrived at Helene's front door soon after and knocked. Helene answered the door. "Well, what do you want?" She asked. "I don't see Felicity with you, so I have no idea what you'd want here."

"I want to be let in," Klaus said. "May I come in? Please?" He asked this in his most charming voice.

"All right," Helene said a little nervously. "Come in, please."

"Thank you," Klaus followed her into the house and sat down on the sofa. "Can I have some coffee?" He asked. "I know it's early, but I want some."

"Fine," Helene narrowed her eyes. "I'll get you your coffee, you tell me why you came, and then you get out."

"That's not a very smart way to speak to me," Klaus said. "I suggest you change your tone to something more friendly."

"Do you think I'm scared of you?" Helene asked. "Because I'm not."

Klaus scoffed. "You may have been able to manipulate Adrian like a puppet, but I'm not so easily manipulated myself."

"What do you want?" Helene asked, plunking down his coffee in front of him. "Why did you come here?"

"I came here," he said, picking up the coffee cup, "to tell you about the evening I had. Didn't get much sleep at all. Would you like to know why?"

"Fine," Helene said. "I'll humor you. Why did you not get much sleep last night?"

"It's a strange thing," Klaus told her. He stood up now, coffee in hand and approached Helene. "Ever since we rescued Felicity from your clutches, she's had trouble sleeping. Mostly early in the morning hours from around midnight until sunup. She'll just cry and cry with all her might, her little body wracked with sobs. And can you imagine why that is, Helene?"

Helene shrugged. "I don't know. But she was exactly the same way when I had her. That's why I cast that spell to shush her because she would just _not_ shut up!"

Klaus let out a growl, threw his coffee on her face, and shoved her forcefully against the wall. She was dazed afterwards, and when he let her go, she stumbled around aimlessly. Then she paused and Klaus forced her down to the ground, snapping each of her legs in two with a crunch that was nearly drowned out by her screams of pain. As she gathered up her strength and tried to crawl away, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back.

"Now you'll know what Felicity went through," he said quietly. "What it feels like to be helpless without having anyone there to help you, even though you scream and scream for it. Better hope your father comes and visits today so he'll find you. Otherwise, I fear you'll have some difficulties." And with a grin, he shoved her through the door that led to the basement stairway, her body thumping down each step, accompanied by her cries and screams of pain. By the time she reached the bottom, she was silent. His mission accomplished, Klaus left the house and made his way to his car, just in time to be confronted by Alistair.

"Why is Helene screaming so?" He asked. "What's happened to her? I could hear her calling very clearly. She seems to be in agony."

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Go inside and see for yourself."

* * *

Around noon, Alistair called Selina to tell her how he'd found Helene. "She was an absolute mess," he said. "She had a bump on her head, burns on her face, really _bad_ burns, and both her legs were broken. She was crumpled at the bottom of the stairs and sobbing like a child."

"I'm sorry," Selina told him. "It must have been awful to find her like that."

"That's not the worst part," Alistair said. "I think Klaus was the one that did it to her."

"Why?" Selina asked.

"I caught him leaving the house at the exact time I showed up. He acted like he had no idea what was going on with Helene, but when I asked her what happened to her, she told me he did it."

"Did she mention _why_ he'd fall back on his old behavior and do something so horrible?" Selina asked.

"She said it had to do with Lissy," Alistair told her.

Selina sighed. "Of course. I should have guessed. Seeing how Helene behaved toward her really hit him hard. He probably thought she deserved some sort of payback for that and in a _small_ way, do you really blame him for feeling the way he does?"

"She was going to be held accountable for what she did to Felicity by the witches," Alistair said. "We weren't just going to let it go, especially since she was using her powers as a way to abuse Felicity. Astrid and the others at the council are most likely going to take Helene's powers away. Hurting her was not necessary! He could have killed her and what would that have accomplished?"

"Nothing," Selina replied. "Don't worry, Alistair. I'll talk to him. I'll get him to apologize if it kills me."

* * *

"How could you do it, Nicky?" Selina raged. "How could you do that to Helene?"

"How could I not?" Klaus retorted. "After what she did to Felicity? You can't expect me to just let that go!"

Selina's eyes narrowed. "You were here when Roxie was yesterday, Klaus. You saw Laura and Addie get into that fight. You heard me tell her that it was wrong to hurt your family members, no matter what they might have done to you."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I heard that and it's a good lesson, but I don't think it applies to me."

"Yes, it does!" Selina nodded and began pulling some of her clothes out of the dresser. "Niklaus, Laura looks up to you! If she knows that you're just killing whoever the hell you want, she'll think it's okay for her to do it too! It'll _completely_ undermine the lessons I've been trying so hard to teach her."

"You can't expect me to turn into Elijah for you," he said. "Or Laura. I won't."

"And I don't _want _you to!" Selina retorted. "You can kill all the random people and enemies of yours that you want. _That _is okay. I won't stop you. Hell, in fact, sometimes I might even help. But when I am trying to teach Laura something, you will behave yourself, because-" Suddenly, she was cut off as Klaus captured her mouth in his and pushed her against the dresser, pulling the clothes out of her hand and throwing them on the bed before moving his hands down her body. When he pulled out of the kiss, he whispered in her ear, "What were you taking those clothes for? Moving out? I don't think so."

"Let me go," Selina said. "I'm going to leave this room now. At least until tomorrow. By behaving this way, Klaus, you're reminding me of the reason why I divorced you."

"Fine!" Klaus said, shoving her away. "You go! I don't care! I don't need you anyway!"

"When are you gonna go apologize to Alistair?" Selina asked Klaus after they both had cooled down a bit.

"How about..._never_? I don't see why I have to apologize," Klaus replied.

Selina's jaw dropped a little. "Are you kidding? You injured his daughter! You could have _killed _her! What she did to Felicity and even Adrian was awful, but she doesn't deserve to be killed for it! What she deserves is to be alive for whatever the witches are gonna do to her, and having to deal with the knowledge that she did horrible things that made her lose her daughter. She's going to be thinking about that every day for the rest of her life, Nicky. She'll never have as good a relationship with Felicity as she should have because of her stupid mistakes. Isn't that punishment enough?"

"Not really," Klaus shook his head. "I want to see her hurt. I want to see her _bleed_."

Selina shut her eyes tight and walked out of the room, not knowing how to reply, or even if it was worth replying to at all. She left the house and went to the store to get Roxie presents for her birthday.

* * *

Selina wrapped Roxie's presents and put them in the closet of her spare bedroom, then brought the box with a toy she'd bought for Lissy in it into the living room, opened the box, and let all the little bits and pieces fall to the floor.

"Oh, god," she said as she looked down at the large pile. "So many pieces! _This_ is going to take awhile." She paused. "At least I'll have handy dandy instructions to tell me what to do." She dug the instructions out of the box, looked them over and groaned. They were solely in French and there seemed to be no English version in sight. She picked up the box and shook it upside down once more, but she had been correct the first time. Sighing, she picked up the instructions and squinted at them, seeing if she could figure out what they said. She had spoken French quite fluently in Paris, of course, but that had been over a century ago and her grasp of the language had become _very_ rusty. There was only one thing she could do. She got up from the floor and went into her and Klaus' bedroom door. "Nicky?" She asked. "I need your help." But he was lying on the bed facing away from her and refused to turn over. She sighed. "Not talking to me, huh? I guess I'll just have to take my shirt off by myself, then. And my bra. And my pants. And my-" She broke off as he turned around to face her, his expression eager. When he saw that she was still dressed, he growled angrily. "You can't do that to a man," he said. "Selina, what is the matter with you?"

"I told you!" She said. "I need your help. Sadly, though, that's not a euphemism for anything."

Klaus sighed and sat up. "What is it that you need?"

"Come into the living room with me and I'll show you," she said.

He followed her into the living room where the pile of bits and pieces still sat and Selina was relieved to know that none of the kids had found the pile and choked on anything.

"What a mess," Klaus said, getting down beside the pile. "What's all this supposed to be?"

"It's one of those little scooters that babies can ride around on," Selina said. "I thought it would be a good first step toward independence for Lissy. But the only instructions in the box are in French, and my language skills are a bit rusty, so how about you read and I assemble?"

"Why can't _you _read and _I_ assemble?" Klaus asked.

"Cause this is my thing that I bought for Lissy and I want to have the pride of knowing that I put it together myself," Selina replied. "That is exactly the reason why I didn't let the guy at the store put it together for me, although if I'd known the instructions for it wouldn't be in English, I would have forked over the extra $25."

Klaus gave her a look. "But then we wouldn't have a chance to have this great time together," he said. "That's a plus, right?" He asked sarcastically.

Selina sighed. "What do you want me to do?" She asked. "What do you want me to apologize for? Cause this attitude of yours is getting us nowhere."

"There!" Klaus said. "Exactly what you just said. Blaming me for everything when some of the fault is yours."

"Fault for what?" Selina asked. "What did I do?"

"You say you'll accept me for myself and then you berate me for going after Helene and say that being the way I am is going to make you want to divorce me again, and that I'll corrupt Laura and things like that. None of that is true."

Selina sighed. "Well, perhaps I was a _little_ harsh, but all I want is for you not to encourage Laura to kill or anything like that yet. She's too young. I know I sound like my mother here, but I really don't see how Laura or anyone else being sold on 'the joy of the kill' this early will help anything. That's all I'm trying to get at. You can do whatever you want, otherwise."

"Fine," Klaus replied. "I won't mention a word of what I did to Helene to Laura. And I will _talk_ to Alistair. I won't apologize, but I'll at least explain to him why I did what I did. That's as close as I'm going."

Selina nodded. "And in return, I promise that if I ever have concerns about anything you do, I won't bring them up in our bedroom. That will just be a place for sexy fun time and light chatter."

Klaus nodded. "Sounds good to me. Now, are you gonna read while I put this toy together or not?"

"Fine," Selina said, picking the instructions up. "I will read. You will put the toy together."

After they got it put together, Selina went and got Lissy, placing her on the scooter and watching as she happily scooted around the living room, before she suddenly transformed into a bat and began flapping around.

"Oh, for the love of god," Selina said. "Nicky, go call Alistair!"

"Well, you have to admit this is a much quicker way for her to get around by herself," Klaus said. He then called Alistair, who answered after a long time.

"What do you want?" He asked. "I've been watching Helene all day thanks to what _you_ did."

"Lissy's turned into a bat!" Klaus all but yelled into the phone. "And we can't change her back, of course. You come and do it!"

"Well, I don't know," Alistair said. "Being a bat isn't hurting Lissy at all, and in her current condition, Helene needs me _much _more, so..."

"I'm sorry I hurt Helene," Klaus said through his teeth after he heard a crash and Selina's shriek of frustration. "Now, come on!"

There was a pause, and then Alistair finally said, "All right. Just a minute."

He appeared in even less than a minute and strode into the living room where Selina was trying to corral the animal.

"Hi, Alistair," she said when she saw him. "Thank you so much for coming."

Alistair nodded. "Now let's wait until she lands and then get me a ladder."

"Why do you need a ladder?" Selina asked. "Can't you just levitate up there or something?"

Alistair nodded. "I could, but I don't feel like it right now."

They waited until Lissy was hanging in the rafters, then got Alistair the ladder, and he brought her down and turned her back. "There," he said, giving her to Klaus. "I need to go back to Helene now, but if anything else like this happens, let me know immediately."

"Sure," Selina nodded. "Thanks, Alistair."

He nodded and disappeared.

"So," Selina said to Klaus, "Want to talk about Roxanne's birthday?"

* * *

"Surprise!" Klaus and Selina said together when Roxie opened the door on her birthday.

"You made it!" Roxie exclaimed, feeling a little shocked. "I didn't think you would. Well, together, anyway."

"Hey, you said that's what you wanted for your birthday, and it wasn't like it was a difficult request to fill," Selina told her. "Alistair even agreed to watch the other kids so you could have us all to yourself."

"That's what she wanted the most anyway," Vince said, coming to stand next to Roxie. "She told me that she hoped you wouldn't bring any of the other kids around when you came."

"I know it might seem kind of selfish," Roxie admitted. "But it's _my_ birthday."

"We know," Selina said. "And we agree. That's why we didn't bring anyone." She shifted her grip on the cake she was carrying. "Can we come in?"

"Oh, sure!" Vince said. "Sorry. Want me to take that cake from you?"

"Sure," Selina nodded, hefting it. It was a big cake. As soon as Vince put it on the table, Addie came running out with Joey following. "Chockit cake!" She exclaimed. "I want!" She and Joey both reached for it and Vince moved them away. "No," he said. "Not yet. That's for your mommy."

"But I _want!_," Addie repeated.

"And you'll get some," Vince told her. "Just be patient."

Sadly, Addie went to sit by her mother and Vince picked up Joey, who showed much more emotion than usual as his father pulled him away from the cake.

"See?" Addie pointed out. "Joey wants too."

Vince said nothing to this remark and after a couple of seconds, Roxie changed the subject as Klaus put all her presents near the fireplace.

"Full moon coming up," she said.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Why are you mentioning it?"

"Did you know that Lucy's moved into the woods or something cause Uncle Jake told her it would be best to give in to being a werewolf just once?" Roxie asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Taking her to Jake's was my idea in the first place. I hope she's okay. I haven't heard anything from her." She looked at Roxie. "Have you?"

"No," Roxie shook her head. "I'm a little worried honestly. She paused. "But it's nothing cake and presents won't cure, right?"

"Which one to you want to do first?" Selina asked.

"Presents," Roxie decided, and then headed to the fireplace, picking up a few of the boxes.

"I help!" Addie said, coming to sit in Roxie's lap and tearing the paper off of the present to reveal a blue sweater.

"That'll look good on me," Roxie said, looking it over. "Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome," Selina said. Addie helped her unwrap a purse, a book, some earrings and a set of keys.

"What are these keys for?" Roxie asked.

"I thought you could use a bigger car," Klaus said. "We came here in it. It's outside right now."

Roxie's eyes widened. "Really?" She ran outside to have a look at the cherry red SUV and Vince followed.

"Seems like she liked the car," Klaus said to Selina when she was gone.

"Yes," Selina sighed. "What's a sweater you knitted yourself compared to a car?"

Klaus took her in his arms and kissed her forehead. "They had to have a car," he said. "One that actually worked. I wasn't trying to show you up."

"I know," Selina said.

"And you made the cake," Klaus reminded her. "Everyone wants a piece of that."

Just then, Roxie and Vince came inside and they lit the candles on the cake and sang Happy Birthday. After that, the grownups cut slices for themselves before handing the rest to Joey and Addie, who attacked it like wild animals, their faces, hair and clothes covered in chocolate.

"Looks like some people are gonna need baths tonight," Roxie said with a grin.

Selina stood up and headed into the kitchen to get more napkins. Klaus followed her, his eyes on her bottom.

"What are you looking at?" Selina asked, feeling his eyes on her. She turned and he licked his lips. "Something I want more than cake," he said.

Selina walked into his arms and kissed him deeply, her hands going all over his body. "Well if you would just tell me when your birthday is, at least I'll know what to get you for a present."


	50. A Rule Broken

"Oh, not this again," Klaus said as he came in and saw Selina pulling her clothes out of her dresser one morning. "What terrible, unforgivable offense did I commit now?"

Selina looked up at him. "It's not you," she said. "It's me. I'm not ready to sleep with you yet and I think it wouldn't be fair to you for me to be in here if you're not gonna get anything out of it. So I'm gonna go back to my room."

"Wait just a minute now," Klaus told her. "You said at Roxanne's birthday that you'd be willing to give me a present and your hands went places that they usually only go if you _do_ want to sleep with me, so what gives? Why are you doing this now?"

"Because I know I overstepped and I'm trying to fix it," Selina replied. "I don't want to lead you on."

"You know," Klaus told her, "There's an easy way to fix that: actually sleeping with me! It's not hard. You've done it before."

"I can't just do it now!" Selina said. "I _am_ gonna do it, though. Just when we have a deeper emotional connection."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Klaus asked. "Is that some fancy talk that I should take to mean you're gonna string me along for who knows how long until you drive me crazy? Selina, I_ want _you, and no one else_ but _you, but I have needs, you know, and if you're gonna tie my hands like this, I guess I have no choice but to seek satisfaction elsewhere!"

"Fine," Selina replied. "Do that. But I know you won't be as fulfilled as you would be if you were with me!"

"Who cares?" Klaus replied. "Some fulfillment is better than no fulfillment at all."

* * *

Selina knocked on Gregory's bedroom door. "Sweetie," she called. "Can I come in?"

After a few seconds, the door was opened and her and Elijah's eldest son glowered at her. "Yes?" He said.

"I thought we could talk," she said, as she came into his room and sat on the bed. "Come here and sit next to me." She patted the spot beside her.

"It's good you still remembered I live here," he said. "I thought you forgot cause you were busy with the other kids."

"I know," Selina said. "And sweetie, I'm sorry. But that's one of the things that happens when you're the oldest and your mother has lots of other kids to take care of. Not that that excuses the fact that I've not paid you much attention, but at least it explains it. If your daddy was here, he'd probably explain it better than I do."

"Where _is_ Daddy?" Gregory asked. "I want him to come back."

Selina sighed. "Well, he can't exactly come back right now. He's resting somewhere."

"Go wake him up!" Gregory said. "Where _is _he?"

"I don't know," Selina shrugged. "But Uncle Klaus and I will figure that out."

Gregory shook his head. "No you won't! You want to forget all about Daddy and keep making kissy faces at Uncle Klaus! I saw you do it and I hate him!"

"Now, sweetie, it's not nice to hate people," Selina reminded him.

"I don't care!" Gregory fumed. "I hate you too! I want to go away from here...maybe be with Grandpa."

"No!" Selina shook her head. "You are not going near your grandfather, do you understand me? He hurt your daddy, all right? He hurt your daddy because he was upset about your daddy and me being married and that is why your daddy is gone."

"He's dead?" Gregory asked. "Is Daddy dead?"

"Not exactly," Selina shook her head. "But he's hurt enough that I don't know when or if he'll ever come back."

"If Daddy knew what you do with Uncle Klaus, it would make him cry," Gregory said. "You're being very mean to Daddy and hurting his feelings."

Selina sighed and tried to take Gregory in her lap, but he moved away from her. "Listen," she said. "I love your daddy, all right? But he's not here right now. He's been gone for an awful long time and I have to start living my life again. I can't mourn him forever. That's not how to live. I have feelings and your Uncle Klaus has feelings and when you're older, you'll have feelings too that you'll need a nice girl to help you with. But just because I need Uncle Klaus to help me with these feelings doesn't mean I don't love your daddy. I do."

"I don't believe you," Gregory said.

"Fine," Selina told him. "You can not believe me all you want, but that doesn't mean it's not true. You're just a little boy. What do you know about all this? Nothing, that's what!" Frustrated, she left his room, slamming the door closed and throwing herself down on her bed before coming to a decision. She was gonna sleep with Nicky. And she was gonna sleep with him _now._ The decision made, she took off her clothes, put on a bathrobe and went to Klaus' bedroom.

"Hey, Nicky," she said. "I want to show you something." She dropped her robe so she was standing just inside the room in her red underwear and bra. When she realized Klaus wasn't in the room, she decided to get on the bed and wait for him, but then she heard Laura coming. She put her robe on and stuck her head out the door. "Laura?" She called. "Have you seen your Uncle Klaus?"

"He went out the door," Laura said. "And he told me to tell you something."

"Oh, yeah?" Selina said. "What was it?"

"This!" Laura grinned and blew a raspberry.

"Well," Selina said, "that wasn't very nice of him, was it?"

"It's fun to do that!" Laura grinned.

Selina nodded. "I bet you think it is." She paused. "Want to come read with me in my room?" She asked. "Let me get Felicity and the three of us will read together."

"Okay!" Laura said eagerly. "Let's do it!"

* * *

Klaus came back from his date that evening and shut the front door behind him. Just then, the lights came on. "Where were you?" Selina asked.

"I was out," Klaus replied. "And I don't believe that I need to be held accountable to you or anyone else for how I spent my time. I'm going to bed."

"Just a minute now," Selina put a hand on his arm. "Tell me about where you were. Did you have fun?"

Klaus shrugged. "I wouldn't say it was fun, but I did what I had to do. I met a lovely young lady and then she and I went to a hotel and we..." he trailed off.

Selina twisted her mouth to one side. "So you met a random woman, went to some hotel and slept with her," she said. "Okay. It's good to know that while I was sitting at home like_ this_," here she dropped her robe to the floor to reveal the skimpy red panty set, "You were out with someone else."

"You were here dressed like that?" Klaus asked. "Why?"

"Just for fun," Selina said sarcastically. "Why do you think?"

"You said that you had no interest in you and I being together right now," Klaus reminded her. "You said it just earlier today."

Selina nodded. "But then I had a talk with Gregory to see how he was handling Elijah being gone, you know, just in case he was as damaged as Laura, and he just started in on me about how I was being mean to Daddy and how Daddy would hate the way I was acting, and I thought, 'I have been _damn_ good when it comes to Elijah's memory, but as long as his son already thinks I'm horrible, I might as well give myself permission to have a little fun'." She unhooked her bra and threw it on the floor, sashaying towards him, grabbing his face and kissing him hard as his hands went up her stomach and around her breasts. When she pulled out of the kiss, she grinned. "Don't you agree with that, Nicky?"

"I like it," he grinned and picked her up. "Let's not delay any longer." She giggled as he carried her to his bedroom and lay her down on the bed while he removed his shirt and unzipped his pants. Then he climbed on the bed beside her and kissed her, his arms going around her neck as he pushed her back on to the bed. Her eyes flicked downward as she noticed his length struggling to stay in his pants. She gasped and then grinned. "Well, hello there," she said, reaching out and gently freeing it. "It's been awhile since I've seen _you_."

Klaus groaned. "Keep doing that, love, please."

"Doing what?" She asked, a wicked gleam in her eye as she stroked him. "This? You want me to keep doing _this_?"

"Yes," he nodded, trying to keep his breath steady. "Oh, god, yes! Woman, you're torturing me!"

Selina grinned and kissed him. "Yeah," she said. "But you like it." Klaus moved on top of her, kissing down her neck and gently sucking on her nipples. Then, he gently massaged her stomach and rolled his tongue around her belly button.

She groaned. "More!" She said impatiently. "I want more!" She thrust her hips forward impatiently. "Come inside me Nicky. Please!"

He grinned as he kissed the skin under her belly and slipped his fingers under her panties, rubbing her gently. "You're an impatient little thing, aren't you?" He laughed and gently slipped her panties off, throwing them over his shoulder.

Selina nodded, gripping the mattress so tightly that when Klaus' tongue slipped inside her and she let out a shriek of joy, she accidentally pulled out pieces of the mattress with her fists.

"That was good, Nicky!" She said when she got her breath back. "Do it again!"

He shook his head. "No, no," he said, his fingers running through her sweaty dark hair. "No more preliminaries, love. It's time for the big event."

"You always have come up with interesting names for your penis, haven't you?" She asked with a grin. Then, she pushed herself up on her elbows so that her and Klaus' lips met, then with a movement of his body, he was inside her. She clutched him tightly, her fingers poking into his back hard enough to draw blood while he entered her again and again and again. Finally, though, he let her go and lowered her onto the mattress.

"Oh, my god," She breathed. "What the hell was that?" She turned to face Klaus who was grinning. "Whatever it was," he said, "it was _long_ overdue."

* * *

A week or so later, it was the day of the full moon.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Lenora asked Lucy. "I know you're nervous."

"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "I'll be fine. Of course I'll be fine. It's nothing that hasn't happened to me before. Just that this time, I won't be tied up. I'll be free to do whatever I need to."

"Okay," Lenora said. "I just wanted to be sure you were all right." She looked around Lucy's moderately sized studio. Half finished paintings covered nearly every empty space. "I mean, you've been in here all day and usually you come out. Damon's worried."

"Yeah," Damon said, peeking in the studio door. "You can't stay in here all day. You need to come out and eat or watch TV or something. You're not a werewolf yet. You won't hurt anyone by being amongst people."

Just then, there was a knock at the front door. "That's Daniel!" Lenora said. "I told him he could come and visit today. I hope that's okay."

"Yeah, okay," Lucy said. "He's a nice enough kid." While Damon was left to deal with Lucy, Lenora eagerly went to answer the door. "Hi!" She said to Daniel. "Come on in!"

Daniel came in, taking a cap off his curly brown hair and removing his coat. "Were you serious when you said you actually _had_ Tobias Potter in your possession?"

"You mean the cat?" Lenora asked. "Yeah, he _said_ his name was Tobias Potter. Why do _you_ care?"

"He's my dad," Daniel said. "Mom was real upset when the council convicted him."

"My Grandma Astrid is on the council," Lenora told him. "Do you hate me?"

"No," Daniel shook his head. "_You_ didn't decide to punish my father, did you?"

"No," Lenora shook her head. "Of course I didn't!"

"Well, then why would I hate you?" Daniel asked.

Lenora shrugged. "I don't know. Wanna see your daddy now?"

"Yes," Daniel nodded. "I do."

Lenora led him to her room where Tobias sat on the bed. "Oh, my god!" He said when he saw Daniel come into the room. "Son, what are you doing here?"

"We're here for the February festivities," Daniel said. "But since they're not until tonight, Mom said I could come over to see Lenora."

"Wait," Tobias said. "Why would your mother let you be friends with Lenora? Her grandmother is one of the people who got me convicted!"

"So?" Lenora said. "That's not _my_ fault!"

"Yeah!" Daniel agreed. "In fact, when Lenora found us in the woods and introduced herself, Mom seemed really happy to have another witch around here."

"You watch your mother carefully," Tobias said. "I don't know what your mother has up her sleeve, but I highly doubt she let you befriend Lenora just out of the goodness of her heart. And I don't want her to do anything that might get her put in jail or worse, like harming Lenora."

"You mean his mom might want to hurt me?" Lenora asked.

"I don't know," Tobias replied. "But it's a possibility, so be careful."

"Okay," Daniel nodded.

After that got out, the atmosphere became much less severe. Daniel, Lenora and Tobias spent the day talking together in Lenora's room, but as night hit, Damon knocked on the door frame. "I think it's time for your friend to be heading home," he said to her. "Cause it's almost time for your aunt to, you know, turn and we wouldn't want him to get stuck in the crossfire."

"All right," Daniel said, getting up. "Looks like I have to be on my way now, Dad," he said to Tobias. "I hope to see you again." He left the house and got back home just in time to be safe from Lucy. By morning, Lucy had changed back and Damon found her, naked and shivering, in the woods.

"Damn," she said, her teeth chattering. "Why didn't I bring a coat? It completely slipped my mind how cold it was gonna be when I turned back once I had that fur coat all over me."

Damon dropped a bag of clothes down beside her. "You can put those on," he said.

"No," Lucy shook her head. "I have an even better way to warm up." She stood up, fully naked before him, her hair tousled and dried blood around her mouth, and kissed him, unzipping his pants. "Wanna have a little fun in nature?" She whispered in his ear.

He grinned. "Yes, please," he said. He undressed the rest of the way and then they rolled around on the forest floor for a bit before finally pulling away from each other. "I needed that," she said. "I _really_ needed that."

"So," Damon said, reaching out and rubbing her stomach. "How did it go last night? Did you kill anyone? Was it helpful?"

Lucy sighed. "I might have killed a few campers and a hiker or two. That's bad, right?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "If you're just doing what you have to do to survive, it's not bad. You shouldn't feel guilty about what you did."

"Okay," Lucy nodded. "I won't." She got up off the ground and put the clothes on that he'd brought her. "I'm definitely gonna need a bath when we get back to the house," she said as she pulled a sweatshirt over her head. "You wouldn't mind assisting me with that, would you, Damon?"

Damon grinned. "Of course not," he said. "Now let's get you inside before you really start to feel the cold.

"I agree," Lucy said, and shivered. "Let's get in the house right now!"

* * *

"Can I ask a favor?" Daniel said to Lenora.

"Sure," Lenora nodded. "What is it?"

"My mom wants to see my dad," he said. "Just for a little bit. Would it be okay if I took him to my camp and then brought him back?"

Lenora sucked in her breath. "I don't know," she said. "Your daddy said to watch out for your mother because she could be up to something sneaky."

"She's not!" Daniel shook his head insistently. "When I told her that you had Dad here, she said all she wanted was to see him and talk to him for a bit and then she'd give him back."

"Well," Lenora considered. "I suppose if I came too, it would be all right." She went in and got Tobias and then came back to meet Daniel. "Where are we going, the cat asked.

"We're going to see Mom," Daniel answered. "She wants to see you and talk to you."

"Remember what I said about being careful of your mother, son," Tobias warned.

"She's not gonna do anything bad," Daniel assured him. "She _promised_ me!"

They got to the place where Daniel and his mother were staying and Daniel knocked on the door. "Mom!" He called. "I brought Lenora and she's got Dad!"

Just then, the door opened. "Well, thank you," Theresa said to Lenora as she took Tobias back. "How kind of you to return my husband to me."

"I'm not returning him to you," Lenora shook her head. "I'm just letting you borrow him temporarily. When you've talked to him, you have to give him back."

Just then, a spark shot out of Theresa's hand and Lenora went flying across the wood and smashed headlong into a tree. She crumpled to the ground, blood gushing from a wound in her head.

"Lenora!" Daniel said in shock. He tried to reach her, but his mother pulled him back. "Forget about her, son." She said. "She gave us what we want. She's of no importance anymore."

Later, at lunch, Daniel put some sleeping potion in his mother's wine, which gave him enough time to sneak out to where Lenora had fallen. He found her sitting up and no longer bleeding, but still not well. "What happened?"

"It was my mom," he said. "She tricked us and she hurt you. I'm gonna get you home, okay? Your aunt's probably wondering where you are." He put an arm around her shoulder and helped her walk back to Damon and Lucy.

"Oh, my god!" Lucy said when she saw that Lenora was covered in blood. "She's hurt! What happened to her?"

"She got on the bad side of my mother," Daniel said. "I'm very sorry. And if you've done what you came to do, I suggest you leave now, before my mother decides she wants to cause Lenora any more harm."


End file.
